Indiana’s WNBA team is far from an odds-on favorite at local sportsbooks to win the championship this year.

Several Indiana sports betting apps have the Fever as the least likely team to win the league’s title in 2021.

Is that status for this year’s rendition of the team justified? It may be too early to tell. However, it may not be too early if you’re going to take a long-shot bet on Indiana this season.

Checking the temperature of the Indiana Fever betting futures

The Fever have been active so far this offseason, although none of the big-name moves have involved the team.

Perhaps the biggest free agent move regarding Indiana has been the departure of all-time franchise leading scorer Candice Dupree to the Seattle Storm.

Dupree’s exit could be viewed as more of a changing of the guard, however. The Fever have a trio of young potential stars ready to become the primary faces of the franchise. Kelsey Mitchell in the backcourt with Lauren Cox and Teaira McCowan in the frontcourt give General Manager Tamika Catchings pieces to build around.

Indiana sportsbooks don’t expect that construction to pay off in 2021. Here are the latest futures odds at five local books.

Team	BetMGM	BetRivers	DraftKings	FanDuel	PointsBet
Las Vegas Aces	+200	+350	+350	+450	+350
Seattle Storm	+225	+175	+175	+170	+150
Washington Mystics	+350	+300	+300	+400	+350
Phoenix Mercury	+700	+1100	+1100	+1000	+800
Minnesota Lynx	+1000	+1100	+1100	+3300	+2500
Chicago Sky	+1000	+1100	+1100	+1400	+1000
Los Angeles Sparks	+1100	+500	+500	+600	+600
Connecticut Sun	+1500	+1100	+1100	+1000	+800
Dallas Wings	+8000	+6000	+6000	+10000	+7500
Atlanta Dream	+8000	+6000	+6000	+10000	+10000
New York Liberty	+10000	+6000	+6000	+7500	+5000
Indiana Fever	+20000	+8000	+8000	+10000	+7500

If you’re going to put some money down on the Fever to defy expectations and win a title this year, you can get odds as good as +20000 right now.

Only FanDuel and PointsBet think another WNBA team has less of a shot to win it all.

So, would you just be throwing away money if you stake Indiana here? It all depends on what your goal is. That, in turn, should dictate how you bet this market.

One way to look at betting on Indiana to win it all in 2021

Taking the team with the longest odds to win a championship isn’t really a contrarian play. It’s the ultimate “flier”. If you look at the odds on the Fever that way, that makes your betting plan here pretty straightforward.

A flier bet insinuates you are staking a low amount of money and not expecting to win. At the same time, you put yourself in a position for a big payout if the unlikely does occur.

For example, if you stake just $5 on Indiana to win it all this year at BetMGM Sportsbook right now, and they do, you’d get a payout of $1,005.

The other benefit of wagering a low amount of money is that you probably won’t miss it in your bankroll over the course of the coming WNBA season. The WNBA Finals usually take place in October, so you’ll be waiting until then for any bet on this event to settle.

However, if you truly think the team has zero chance at winning and would rather save that five bucks for a different bet, maybe sit this one out.

It all depends on your bankroll and betting strategy.

Free-agent bolstering, draft picks, and more experience

One of the great things about WNBA betting is that because there are only 12 teams with 12 active players, it’s a league full of 144 of the best basketball players in the world. That also means the league is ultra-competitive.

Indiana added veteran guards Lindsay Allen and Danielle Robinson along with forwards Jessica Breland and Jantel Lavender. The Fever also have the fourth-overall selection in next month’s draft.

That is a great opportunity to add talent who will complement Mitchell in the backcourt.

The coming season will be her fourth, McCowan’s third, and Cox’s second. Where the Fever place will not only depend on how well they mesh with each other and the rest of the roster, but also how they develop individually.

Indiana also has a new practice facility, which can’t hurt.

The Fever may not be on the hot seat as a championship favorite for 2021, but there’s reason to believe they may not be at the bottom of the league like some sportsbooks postulate. It also doesn’t mean that Indiana Fever betting futures aren’t worth a second thought.