Get in on the Market as the Regular Season Grinds to a Finish
To Repeat or Not Repeat, That Is the Question?
The Oklahoma City Thunder clobbered the Los Angeles Lakers on April 2. Any question about whether they were getting set for the postseason should be doused. There is a rematch in LA on April 7.
This could be a chance for the Lakers to get even, or they could be in for another beating as Luka Doncic’s status is in the air. The Thunder are looking to outlast the Spurs in the battle for the best record in the Western Conference and the league. They are +135 to repeat as champions according to NBA odds for championship.
The Spurs are on quite a heater. They have won 9 of 10 and are a menacing force in the playoff picture, seeing a winning streak ended in a thriller against the Nuggets. NBA futures odds have San Antonio at +550, the co-second choice to win the championship.
San Antonio’s unicorn superstar Victor Wembanyama is the second choice at +700 in NBA regular-season MVP odds. The pick in this category is the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, reigning MVP of the regular season and Finals. He is odds-on at -1800.
Forces in the Eastern Conference
The Eastern Conference NBA futures odds are more wide open than the West. There are four teams in the picture to win the championship. What is most interesting is how the East-leading Detroit Pistons are +2200. That’s a great number, especially since star guard Cade Cunningham should be back in time for the postseason.
The futures odds NBA have the Boston Celtics as the team to beat in the East when it comes to a shot at the championship. The green is +550, equal to the Spurs. Boston likely won’t catch Detroit for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but with Jayson Tatum back, it is a threat to win it all.
The Knicks are +1500 to be NBA champion and the Cavaliers are +1200. Factor in the Knicks’ road record, which is barely over .500, and one understands why they are longer odds than the other three teams. If one is going to bet on NBA Finals, that should be considered because New York likely won’t have homecourt advantage as the postseason run deepens.
Are The Live Long Shots?
NBA Finals odds take into account all teams that could be in the postseason before the regular season concludes. The Lakers are +2800 to win it all. Were those odds cooled by the rout against the Thunder? Another team in the west given greater consideration is the Denver Nuggets, who sit at +800. Denver has been playing great basketball, and it has to be a reason why its odds are so much shorter than the Lakers. San Antonio has won 27 of 30, and two of those losses came to Denver.
The Minnesota Timberwolves sit at +4500 and the Houston Rockets at +8000 if you are looking for other teams that have an outside shot at getting hot and seeing people collect NBA odds for championship bets should they capture the Lawrence O’Brien Trophy.
Finals MVP Picture
Once the playoffs get down to the nitty-gritty, BetUS will have NBA Finals MVP odds. Those are sure to feature Wembanyama, Gilgeous-Alexander, Cunningham, and Tatum as strong choices. Again, should OKC stick around and be a menace to repeat, look for SGA to be the chalk in this category.
