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NBA Preseason Picks Today | Western Conference Preview | NBA Future Odds & Expert Predictions

The NBA Show

Kate Constable:

Welcome into a new season of BetUS’ NBA show alongside Josh C and Chris R. Farley. I’m Kate Constable. The NBA season starts in less than a week. And so to get you guys ready, we’re going to be previewing both conferences starting today with the Western Conference, and then we’ll take a look at the Eastern Conference on Friday. From top team win, totals, division, and conference favorites, plus much more. But before we kick things off, make sure to sign-up today at BetUS using promo code NBA2020 to claim your 125% sign-up bonus for sports betting exclusively. That’s up to $2,500. Hit the link at the bottom of this video to take advantage of the offer and get more info on terms and conditions. Guys, it’s great to have you here. How’s everything going?

Josh C:

Things are good.

Chris R. Farley:

Going fantastic. Yeah, excited. Excited for the season.

Kate Constable:

Yes, very. And we’re going to have a fun show today. We’re just going to kick things off starting by taking a look at the full odds to win the Western Conference. If we take a look at this here, the Lakers are the odds on favorite at +150. Followed by the Golden State Warriors, Clippers, Suns, Jazz. Obviously, those are no surprise to have those teams at the top there. And then we get a little deeper, the Grizzlies, we’re going to talk about them later, +4,000. Same with the Pelicans. The Houston Rockets are sitting near the bottom along with the Oklahoma City Thunder. We’re going to get into all of that today though. And we’re going to start by talking about the favorite to win the Western Conference and that’s the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kate Constable:

They have the highest win total in the Western conference at 53 and a half wins. The over is juiced at 125, the under at 105. Like I mentioned, they’re the favorites to not only win the conference, obviously then that means their division and the NBA Championship at +350. They had a lot of roster moves over this summer. Probably more so than any other team. And this is a very veteran focused team highlighted by the blockbuster trade between the Wizards to bring in Russell Westbrook. And so, with a veteran team and a star-studded team with a lot of players that like to have the ball in their hands. Chris, I want to start with you. How long is it going to take this roster to click until we start seeing those wins steadily come in?

Chris R. Farley:

Yeah. I mean, if you ask Anthony Davis, I think he went on air saying something like this. It might take a little while for this team to get to where it needs to be, and I think he’s right about that. Like you said already, Kate, we’re talking about a team who’s turning it over. They only have three returning players from last year’s roster. I mean that’s unreal. I think from what I see in my notes here, that’s the most since 2006 for only one team. It’s just a lot of turn over there. I hate that for this team as far as continuity goes. Continuity and team chemistry is so important in the NBA. I mean in any sport, but to see that level of it is just… I mean it’s alarming.

Chris R. Farley:

And now, again, we’re going to have a huge load on Anthony Davis to hold up the team on offense I think because Russell Westbrook… I mean we could talk about this for a long time, but Westbrook, one of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA, but does the team necessarily win because he’s part of their team? I’m not sure about that. And he’s turning over the ball a lot in the preseason already. I think it’s going to take some time for the team to really gel. And he loves to crowd the paint too, and you got all the bigs on the Lakers already. I mean, it’s conceivable that this might not be a great fit. Now, I will say that LeBron James, if anybody can train Russ to become the best version of himself, it probably is LeBron.

Chris R. Farley:

But that being said, I’ll pass it over to Josh, I guess, to expand more on this stuff. But I have to play on the under in this one. It is the highest total in the whole NBA. It’s shocking because year to year, especially in the past two years, there’s so much turnover on the Lakers, and eventually I think that’s really going to hurt them. And I think it’s going to hurt them a little more than people realize.

Kate Constable:

Josh, where do you see the total here in terms of wins with this brand new roster?

Josh C:

It’s a high total, right? And to be perfectly blunt, if I had to pick a side, I’m definitely going with the unders here for a lot of what Chris said, and I’m just going to come out and say it as well. I think it’s a really bad roster. Yeah, you have LeBron James and you have Anthony Davis, but the drop-off from that is really steep. And the reality is you can’t trust those two guys to stay healthy enough and play enough regular season games to feel comfortable about finishing in a top two or three seed in the West, which they’re going to have to do if you want to clear these wins total as well. Obviously like you said, bringing in Westbrook, you add Melo as well, that’s two negative defensive value players on the floor for the Lakers at any one time presuming that they’re going to share court time.

Josh C:

You still have AD refusing to play the five and making it pretty well-known, which means we’re going to see these weird lineups where Russ is forced to play alongside AD and either Dwight or DeAndre Jordan. That’s a lot of bodies in the paint there and not a lot of spacing, and we’ve known for a fact that the most effective LeBron James lineups are when you surround him with shooters and maybe a big at most. But you’re not getting that at all with this roster at the moment. And like you said, the lack of continuity with what they’ve got so far is alarming in itself. But I think also the fact that the bodies that they now have and the people that they have in those rotations is going to make life really difficult, I think, for Frank Vogel. Especially in the early goings to find that balance and see what works best.

Josh C:

It’s a long season, don’t get me wrong, but it is a high win total that we’re looking at here. So if I’m going to side anywhere, I’m going to go with the unders unfortunately. But I’m selling the Lakers at this point as well on championship. I’m not convinced that this is the team that merits that pricing in the market.

Kate Constable:

Yeah. I’m going to agree with the both of you there. I would take the under in this as well. Just with the floor spacing and trying to figure out personnel and how everyone’s going to play together. Then you couple that with possible injuries and a slow start to the season. I think this stays under the total.

Kate Constable:

Let’s take a look at the Phoenix Suns. Their win total is 51 and a half. They’re fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals. Their first trip to the playoffs in 10 years. Obviously lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Finals there, but their odds to get back to the NBA championship and win it +1600. Odds to win the Pacific Division is +200. That’s obviously behind the Lakers. We just talked about that. And then, there’s season win total set at 51 and a half. And the Suns are returning nearly every piece of last year’s championship team. They have Chris Paul as their veteran leader, and then that young core of Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges. With this young core improving this offseason, hopefully, you would expect them to. Chris, how much faith do you have in this team putting up another 51-win season?

Chris R. Farley:

Yeah. I mean I try to eliminate any inherent bias in my views in this one because I just really love this team. I loved following them last year and I think they have a really good chance at having another successful year. I mean, you talk about a team that’s the antithesis of the Lakers. They have the most continuity, next to the Hawks, out of any team in the NBA. Keeping all the key pieces to their team. And I think something that I don’t hear being talked about enough in sports betting circle is just how valuable CP3 is to this team as a leader. I mean, he gets there on the court, he’s the court general for this team.

Chris R. Farley:

And someone like Devin Booker who’s still growing, still developing, I mean his offensive prowess is so impressive. But he’s not always consistent, right? CP3 takes that away from him a little bit. He guides the team. We got a lot of growth potential in players like Deandre Ayton who… I’m not going to stand up and show you, but there was a moment in the Finals where… I mean Ayton was turning parallel to the rim instead of facing Giannis on defense straightforward. Little things like that. Fundamentals that he can learn and grow with. This team is just going to get better and better I think. I love that they’re keeping all their key pieces.

Chris R. Farley:

And I know how jam-packed the West is, but this team stayed ahead of a lot of other teams last year. They competed for the top record in the NBA. And like I said, it’s just a team with a lot of growth potential as it is. And one key indicator that I looked at too often last year, we saw the Suns beat up on inferior teams. And for whatever reason, although it doesn’t always make sense, your greatest teams that succeed in a playoffs and win a lot of games are those teams that can pull ahead. They don’t pull out players, they don’t like to rest players. I love that about the Suns. So they are an accountable team that wants to win and they have a lot of continuity and leadership. And so, I am leaning towards the over on the Suns this year. It’ll probably be a small play for me as well.

Kate Constable:

Josh, if we take a look at their odds to win the division, +200. In your opinion, if they were to win this division, is this more of the Lakers underperforming in terms of their win total, or are the Suns just such a solid team and they’re a team that knows how to win? Is that how they’re going to get it done?

Josh C:

I mean, look, it’s a little bit of both I guess. I’m pretty big on the Suns this season. And honestly, I’m surprised, I think, by the disrespect they’ve been shown in the preseason markets. It’s almost as if there’s this assumption that the team isn’t as good as what they showed last season and that they’ll regress to some sort of means. And here’s the thing, they’re really good and they’re going to be better this season than what they were last. You look at just the season win total sitting at 51 and a half. They won 51 games in a shortened season last year which equates to close to 58 wins if my math is right. The only thing they’ve lost is part-time minutes from Dario Saric off the bench. Other than that, I think their acquisitions have been really shrewd, really well thought-out. James Jones has done a really terrific job building the roster.

Josh C:

JaVale McGee is a great pickup for me. We finally get someone that can cover the non-Deandre Ayton minutes as a rim protector for them. Landry Shamet I think as well is a really nice 3&D wing spot for them. He can slide into that rotation and just fits into the system perfectly. But like you guys have both alluded to as well, when all said and done, do we really not believe that these young core is going to take another step forward after their experience in their playoff run last season? I can’t buy it at all. For me, this is absolutely the team to beat in that division not the Lakers unfortunately. So I have taken position on them to win the Pacific Division which just ties into them being effective again in the regular season.

Josh C:

Yeah. Maybe I’m not a Laker believer, so that comes into play as well here. But I think it’s just that I’m really high on the Suns. At least in the regular season that I believe that the pricing for them and the markets for them are just disrespectful at the moment given what they showed last season. Basically, if you want to bet the unders it’s on an assumption or a belief that you think that last season was an absolute outlier which for me is not the case. Not when you have someone with the leadership that Chris Paul has and with the talent that they have as a young core as well.

Kate Constable:

I’m one with you guys on this one again. I would take the over on the win total here and for them to win the division. And not only with just the veteran leadership of Chris Paul, but I think Monty Williams is a fantastic coach. Won coach of the year last season. He’s going to do a lot of the same things he did last year with that similar roster. So, I think the Suns are in a pretty good spot moving forward. Last year, they were the second… had the second best record in the Western Conference.

Kate Constable:

And the team with the first best record is the Utah Jazz. They went 52 and 20 last season which is amazing. Again, a shortened season. Only 72 games versus the full 82. Their win total this year sits at 52 and a half. That’s juice the over at -120. Odds to win the Western Conference +650. That’s tied with the Suns and the Clippers. And then this is interesting to me because 52 and a half wins, they’re the heavy favorite in the Northwest division at -275 to win. So that’s interesting to me just because the Suns are 51 and a half wins and they’re sitting in second place behind the Lakers. I mean, obviously it’s the teams within the division, but what makes the Jazz so good at winning? Josh, start with you?

Josh C:

Yeah. This team is just built to basically destroy the regular season, I think, is probably the only way to put it. Their roster construction is fantastic. Obviously, they’re so well-coached. But their style of basketball is just suited to winning night in night out in the regular season. Obviously there’s question marks about how that transpires into the playoffs, and I think that’s still something that they need to work out. And how to best utilize pieces and how to best hide certain pieces as well unfortunately when that time comes around. But when you’re talking about 82 games and this team with the efficiency that they have and the ability they have to shoot the ball every single night, I think the team total is really low for them. And for me this is probably the team that’s going to finish with the best record in the Western Conference at least. Not quite willing to say the NBA as yet. Maybe they are better than Brooklyn in the regular season, maybe they’re not. But again, I think what you’re going to get from this team is just absolute fundamental basketball on a nightly basis.

Josh C:

You know what you’re getting, you know how they’re going to play. Unfortunately, it’s just one of those situations for most teams where you just have to hope they don’t shoot the ball well. But when they have the shooters that they have on the floor at any given time, I mean we’re talking quite literally four players who shot over 38% from deep last season stacked around Rudy Gobert. That’s difficult for any team to try and deal with. So it’s not surprising, I don’t think, that the win total suggests that they’re going to be in the upper echelon of the Western Conference. But for me, this is probably going be the best team in the regular season in the West by a considerable margin, I think, when it’s all said and done.

Kate Constable:

Yeah. They’re a great regular season team as they showed last year and for all those reasons you just alluded to. But postseason success for them hasn’t been great. They were bounced in the Western Conference semis last year by the Clippers. Won the first two games then lost four straight. And a lot of that I think had to do with some of their health. Donovan Mitchell a little banged up. Mike Conley a little banged up. Chris, is there concern on the health of these guys going in and how that might play into their win total this year?

Chris R. Farley:

Yeah. I mean, I guess that’s always a concern. I look towards the leadership thing again. In the playoffs, who they’re going to look to to guide the team? I mean, I think everybody has such a great role in that team and they all contributed in such great ways. Donovan Mitchell has stepped up many times obviously, but I don’t know if there’s a clear indication of who that leader is. But the players are healthy again. I love the additions of Rudy Gay and Hassan Whiteside. Great additions to the team. I love that they resigned Conley. This is a team that won 52 games last year in a shortened year like you said. So, consistency is the name of the game for this team. I got to tell you, it’s a little mysterious as to why they falter in the playoffs, but all that I can look towards are some of the intangibles like their leadership possibly because all the talent, all the pieces are there. So, this is a regular season team like Josh said and I expect them to continue to perform well.

Kate Constable:

You mentioned them having all the pieces there. The Dallas Mavericks are a team that has a lot of pieces but trying to figure out how they all fit together, and especially when they’re all healthy. Taking a look at their win total 48 and a half. Odds to win the conference are +1400. And the division they won last year, they won the Southwest Division and our favorites again at -250. And there’s new leadership here in Dallas. Rick Carlisle gone after 13 years. Donnie Nelson, general manager, are gone after 16 years. Bringing in Jason Kidd and Nico Harrison who’s a first time GM. He spent 19 years in Nike’s basketball division. So with this new coaching staff, this new front office, how does that affect their success in terms of wins and losses this season? Josh, let’s start with you.

Josh C:

Yeah. Look, I’m selling Dallas this season. I really don’t buy what’s happened to that franchise in the offseason. Not only am I not really Jason Kidd believer, but you’re going from one of the best coaches in the NBA to someone who, let’s just say, hasn’t necessarily proven themselves no matter where they’ve been. That’s a steep drop-off and it’s a big ask to have the team rally around him and buy straight into this new system and hit the ground running. I think they have pieces, don’t get me wrong. You got Luka Doncic, you got that slightest chance if nothing else, right? But outside of that, I mean it all comes down to how they utilize the rest of that team. And you’ve got Jason Kidd coming out in interviews saying that he’s not necessarily buying into the whole three-point revolution in the NBA, and he wants to get Porzingis back in the paint and shooting mid-range jumpers. I mean, that’s just low efficient basketball and it sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Josh C:

So I don’t see how any of that comes to fruition, at least in the early stages of the season. And unfortunately I think it has the potential to snowball as well as the season goes on. Things start poorly and they don’t start off on the right foot. Can you guarantee that Doncic is really going to buy-in and show leadership to carry that team forth or is he going to throw the toys out of the pram a little bit and have his say in the media and stir things a little bit in the locker room to match.

Josh C:

It’s hard to say and he’s a young body still, and I think we do forget that given the talent and the impact he made immediately when coming into the NBA. But for me Dallas right now as a roster, certainly not anywhere near, I don’t think, Western Conference top tier. And again, really, depending on guys like Reggie Bullock being able to come in and make an immediate impact which that’s not really their role. I mean, he might be effective in what he’s asked to do in terms of defending and spacing the floor offensively. But again, you’re talking about a head coach who apparently has no interest in spacing the floor whatsoever. So, let’s see how that all falls into place. But as of right now I’m really selling Dallas. I think they’re probably one of the most overrated teams in the NBA. It might come back to bite me, but I think there’s another team in that division that we’ll talk about that I think is far better place to make a run not just at the playoffs but in the regular season.

Kate Constable:

Last year they started 9 and 14 before finishing 33 and 16. So, a very slow start last year. Chris, is that going to be the same case this year? Especially trying to navigate things with the new coach who’s changing up what they’ve been doing.

Chris R. Farley:

Yeah, I think so. I mean, I think you just see another slow start. I mean, it’s so enticing to try to bet Luka on as much as possible. I mean he’s so entertaining to watch. You might have to fact check me on this but I believe he was playing pro Euro basketball like 14 or something.

Kate Constable:

He was. Yeah.

Chris R. Farley:

Yeah. I mean he’s 22 but he plays like he’s 30. Has a ton of experience. I love Luka, but I do think like Josh alluded to, I think there’s going to be too much pressure on him to hold down the offensive production game in and game out. I mean, I don’t love their additions of Sterling Brown, Moses Brown, and Reggie Bullock as Josh mentioned. I was hoping they could just add some more talent just around Luka to take some pressure off of him. So, I could absolutely see a slow start especially with a new coach.

Chris R. Farley:

I love Josh’s play on this. I think it’s a sharp bang that people are looking at again. It’s very enticing to take Luka. But I think maybe the best bet of the Mavericks, I think Luca for MVP odds. I think he leads the race right now like +250 or something. It feels like he’s primed to have a big year, and if he doesn’t have the pieces around him, he might have to do a tremendous amount. For me, that’s something I’m looking at and maybe a sprinkle bet, but I can’t play on the Mavericks this year. A team total at 48 and a half is too much for me.

Kate Constable:

All right. Well, let’s take a look at the Portland Trail Blazers. They are sitting at 44 and a half wins as their win total. Again, juice to the over here at -125. They’re in third to win the Northwest Division +700 right now behind the Nuggets and the Jazz. And they’re also a team with a new coaching staff with Chauncey Billups at the head there. Josh, where do you see this team sitting once again with new leadership? How is that going to affect their win total in their odds to win their division or conference?

Josh C:

Yeah. Look, coming into the season for Portland is interesting because you look at that starting five and it’s still one of the best starting five in basketball, let alone in the Western conference. And I think that they really being undervalued here in the markets just on the assumption that they might still pull the trigger on a Damian Lillard trade or they might still pull the trigger and move CJ McCollum in the early stages of the season. But if the team stays together as it is I think that they’re not only competitive, but they’re absolutely just off of the top tier, I think, in the conference. And that win total come the end of the season might look really short if they do keep everyone there and buy-in to a new system pretty quickly.

Josh C:

I mean, unlike Jason Kidd, I’m quite high on Chauncey Billups and his capabilities as a head coach. I think what he did in LA with the Clippers in the back staff was really spoken about in high regard by the players, and that speaks volumes in itself when players are so vocal about someone that assisted them and assisted the team in the way that he did and transformed them after what was a pretty disastrous run in the bubble the year prior. So, for me Chauncey Billups definitely comes in and gets buy-in from these players.

Josh C:

And I think unlike the Dallas situation, you have proven leadership in Damian Lillard. And if you get him on board, you get Portland on board, right? It’s as simple as that. And like I said, I think the talent on the roster is suddenly being overlooked a little bit just purely on the assumption that they might not finish the season together. So unless you’re betting that particular angle, I don’t see any way you can take the unders either in the regular win season total or even look to fade them come to the playoffs because I think that they might be prime to take that next step under Chauncey Billups. Maybe not to the extent of making the NBA finals, but hey, a return to the Western Conference Final I think is definitely on the cards with this team if all goes well and they can stay healthy.

Kate Constable:

Yeah. You mentioned all the talent they have on their team, and offensive talent they’re top five in offense each of the last three seasons. But a lot of their losses come because they can’t play defense. They ranked 29th last year in defensive efficiency. The only team that was worse than them was the Sacramento Kings. So Chris, if they could improve on that category, which is something that Chauncey Billups has said, he’s ready to really put his foot down and make them play defense, what is the ceiling for this team?

Chris R. Farley:

Yeah. That’s always a tough question because come playoff time, just like Luka, the team reminds me a lot of Luka and the Mavericks in the sense that there’s just a lot of pressure on Lillard. I was hoping that they would add some more additions for Lilliard too, right? I mean it seems like every year almost, right? There’s tremendous disappointment about the Blazers in how it all ended, and then not much has done to support Damian Lillard. I mean Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell, not bad additions but I don’t think it’s going to be nearly enough.

Chris R. Farley:

Now, of course, improvements on defense are really going to help this team if that actually happens. But I think they were just guessing there. With Lillard, he could certainly hold this team up to get a lot of wins, but I don’t see this as a team that’s going to rock it ahead of other teams in the West then go on deep in the playoffs. As far as the season win total goes, I think the number is just right where it needs to be. So, I’m not as bullish as Josh is on that. It’s just some of the limitations of the roster and this team are not enough changes I think, and that’s what’s keeping them held back.

Kate Constable:

Yeah, I would agree. I mean, losing to the Nuggets last year in the playoffs without Jamal Murray. If you’re not going to be able to beat a team like that without one of their leading scorers, you need to add and retool a little bit in the offseason, And they haven’t quite done that. Taking a look at the Memphis Grizzlies. This is one that I’ve been excited to talk about. I know you guys have as well because you have differing opinions on this team. But if we take a look first their odds to win the NBA championship and the Western Conference, not great. Their odds to win the Southwest division +450. And then, the season win total 41 and a half. They’ve made some offseason progress. Josh, is that the side that you’re on? And Chris, you’re not quite buying into that. Chris, I’m going to give you the floor first. Tell us why you like the under 41 and a half minutes.

Chris R. Farley:

Okay. Yeah. Straightening up over here will clear my throat. I need to make sure that I say this one right because it’s tough to go against Josh. I guess I’ll just start off saying that this one hurt because I really plan on picking over in this one. I really like this team. I love Ja Morant but the more research I actually did on this team and just analysis and looking back to the previous season, I think they could be due for a negative progression this year. I mean, it’s not what I want for the team. Just mind over matter a little bit here. The biggest reason for me is the loss of Jonas Valanciunas. Memphis was 6th last year in defensive efficiency, 15th in offensive efficiency. And where are they going to be now without Jonas on the team? I mean Jonas has 17.1 points per game last year, 59% from the field, 12.5 rebounds per game which was by far the most in his career. Third best at his position in the NBA.

Chris R. Farley:

They brought in Steven Adams. I like Steven Adams. He’s a good player. Can potentially be very good on defense in some spots, but 7.6 point points per game last year, 8.9 rebounds per game. Of course, they brought in Marc Gasol as well who spent 11 years with Memphis. We all love Marc. All time rebound leader for that team. But he is 36 years old. He’s not as bright as he used to be. Although he could certainly make those close threes when he needs to. Questionable offseason for me. I mean Ziaire Williams he has a high upside, but he’s spending a lot of time in the G League. Usually, that means that players have lot of developments to still go through. Only one year at Stanford, not a lot of experience.

Chris R. Farley:

I think the Grizzlies, they have a lot of projects going on. And for me it just made me feel insecure betting on the over for them. And in fact, I mean if anything happens to Ja Morant or to any of their key players, I think they could really take a step down. I will mention that Jaren Jackson has some real potential. He’s 6’11, he’s shown flashes, he can carry the ball around. A lot of GM’s project him to be a breakout player of the year. If he makes a big difference on this team, this could be a very dangerous team. But because it’s such a big if and because I don’t know if I can trust it yet and because I know how much Jonas mean to this team, I have to side with the under in this one.

Kate Constable:

Yeah. I like your comment. They have a lot of projects going on. And with Jaren Jackson Jr., one of those projects is keeping him healthy and that’ll be interesting to see if they’re able to do that this coming season. But Josh, additions of Steven Adams, Jarrett Culver. What moves in this offseason did they make that have you seeing them taking the next step this upcoming season?

Josh C:

Yeah. Look, I don’t know if it’s necessarily the moves that I think swing the needle in any which way for me. The team itself is just maturing and growing year on year. I think Taylor Jenkins has done a terrific job since getting to Memphis, and I’m adamant that he’s the guy that’s just going to keep taking the franchise forward. The Valanciunas trade it was head-scratching, right? I think that’s universally agreed upon. Especially at first glance given what he brought to the team. But for me, there’s a couple of things to unpack with that one, right? I mean, one, it shows they have a lot of confidence in that young core, and JV clearly doesn’t fit that timeline, if you will, in terms of what they’re working towards. And it’s always worth keeping your best players when you can, but second to that in this era of the NBA, I don’t think you want your center to be your second scoring option. Unless it’s a franchise talent like a Joel Embiid or a Karl-Anthony Towns, right?

Josh C:

The Grizzlies want the ball in the hands of Ja Morant. I think they want their scoring options to be Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks. And if you want those guys more involved, there’s probably no space or time on the floor for someone like Valanciunas to share with them and to still be as impactful as what he was. So, it might’ve just been a case of sell high for Memphis with him given the season that he had or the couple of seasons that he had in his time there. I like the stopgap center option in Steven Adams. It makes perfect sense, I think, for what he’ll provide for them at both ends of the floor. That way they can continue as well butting in someone like Xavier Tillman at the five who very much fits the timeline of the rest of that young group.

Josh C:

I think, yes, there’s a risk when you stack a team with so much youth over an 82-game season and such a short turnaround as well from last season. You probably do want a little bit more veteran leadership in the locker room, but at the same time, they matured quickly last season. That playoff experience I think is just going to fuel the fire for them. The total just seems really shy. I think this is a team for me that’s comfortably above 500. And we spoke about the Dallas Mavericks already and this is the team I think that’s going to win the division and the price on them is absolutely fantastic. I don’t think there’s better value on the market in terms of futures betting, because again it’s a combination of the two, right? I think that Dallas is going to fall well short of their total, but I think the Grizzlies are going to comfortably clear then number as well. And 45, 46 wins in the regular season, very doable for the Grizzlies and probably enough to win the division I think as well just given the other teams that are in there.

Kate Constable:

They’re sitting in second in the division with the Pelicans. Josh what makes you like them to win over the pelicans? Obviously, we know your reasoning for Dallas.

Josh C:

Well, the Pelicans, I mean do you really trust Zion to stay healthy for 80% of an 82-game season? We haven’t seen it yet, right? I think that losing Lonzo was interesting given what he provided to them last season. How things work there now? There’s more impetus than ever I think on Zion on to have the ball in his hands as much as possible, and I have no doubts he will deliver and can deliver on a nightly basis. But unfortunately the reality is you’re going to have to load manage him if you want him to be effective come the latter stages of the season and making a proper push for the playoffs.

Josh C:

Look, if you’re doing that and you’re taking nights off, which is going to ultimately happen, you’re surrendering games to a Grizzlies team who unfortunately is the polar opposite in that. And not only are they young and fruitful, but they’re reliable outside of Jaren Jackson Jr. sitting out for substantial period of time. That team I think is probably going to play the very vast majority of games this season, and I still also believe that they’re a better team as cliche as that might sound. And the Pelicans still working through figuring out their identity and what exactly they’re trying to be.

Kate Constable:

All right. Well, this is a future that we’re going to keep our eyes on because you guys have differing opinions, so we’ll see at the end of the year who was correct in their prediction.

Kate Constable:

Last team we’re going to take a look at today out of the Western Conference was the worst team not only in the Western Conference last year, but in the entire league, the Houston Rockets. Honestly, their odds to win the championship, the conference, the division, not great at all. But their season win total is 26 and a half. Last year, they only won 17 games. And again on that shortened 72 season. They’re picked to finish last in their division. Second to last in their conference behind OKC. But they did add a number of players in this draft to Jalen Green from the G League Ignite with the number two pick. Then you have Turkish player, Alperen Sengun, with the 16th pick and he had a great Summer League and people are very high on him. So Chris, I’m going to ask you with some of these new additions and very young additions, can the Rockets win more than 17 games this year?

Chris R. Farley:

Yeah. Hoping the viewers aren’t clicking off the screen right now. We’re talking about the Rockets. But this was a bad showing last year for sure. But I really like how they’re trying to build themselves on defense, which is obviously contrary to what a lot of NBA teams are doing. Just building this roster to go slower paced, to be great on defense. I mean, GM Rafael Stone and coach Stephen Silas seem like they’re really cohesive. They have buy-in from the players. And like you mentioned Kate, I mean for first round picks with a lot of upside, there’s a lot of chatter about those picks. They also signed renowned defenders in Daniel Theis and resign and swing man David Nwaba. Now, a swing man actually I don’t hear that term very much anymore, but that’s someone who can play forward and shooting guard at the same time.

Chris R. Farley:

Just a lot of young talent on this team. I think there could be a lot of upside for them on defense. And I never really liked the addition of John Wall on this team. I think, he fit in there awkwardly. To take out high pressure, to produce a lot on offense, and I’m not sure if he’s built for that role. I mean he could score a lot of points obviously, but I’m not sure if he’s built to be like a one solo guy with a lot of scoring prowess. So, now the ball is going to have to be spread around a little bit. I really hope that they can keep Eric Gordon. Just hang on to that contract for another two years. I think he’s a key piece to that team. A really unselfish player.

Chris R. Farley:

And so, I think that the Rockets could surprise a few teams this year. They’re going to just play the game differently, right? It’s going to be like the Knicks, and the Lakers, and the slower paced teams like the heat. And I think that can catch a lot of people by surprise. We saw that in the beginning early last year and I was bullish on the rockets. I thought they were like a growing team. And then, of course they just started losing, losing and all this stuff, but the Victor Oladipo and everything that happened. But I like the front management here. I like what they’re trying to do. And I think it’s worth a small play on the over. I think they could surprise some teams this year.

Kate Constable:

All right. Chris, what are your thoughts on this? Do you agree with… or Josh. I’m sorry. What are your thoughts on this? Do you agree with Chris this time?

Josh C:

You’re a brave man, Chris. I respect that. You’re a brave man taking this team to win 27 games this season. Look, I don’t have a strong opinion on it. If I had to pick something, I’d probably go the unders and it’s purely because like you alluded to there, Chris, this is a team that’s going to play hard to start the season. I think you’re right. They do buy-in to what it’s trying to be achieved in the need to the short-term future and the long-term future and the identity that they’re trying to create for themselves. The problem when you have a team like this that’s so young that lacks superstar talent is all it takes is a rough month and things can really snowball quickly. And I think that’s exactly what we saw with them last season where once those efforts weren’t necessarily transpiring into wins, it’s very easy for them to become disengaged with the rest of the season and to perform on a nightly basis with that same level of energy and enthusiasm.

Josh C:

Is that going to happen again this season? It might. Like I said, I’m not strongly for or against them, but there’s a very good chance that it could go down that path for them unfortunately. And so, I want to say that they’re going to be better, but that’s also not hard based on how they finish the season. Better probably isn’t enough to clear these win total. They need to make significant growth. And as much as I’d love to say that they will do it, I still have my hesitations around trusting this team without that natural leadership, I don’t think, on the roster. And until they work out as well what they’re going to do with John Wall. That could turn out to be a distraction over the course of three or four months if he’s still there but not playing and they’re still actively trying to move him. For me, I think I would take the unders if I had to pick a side, but I’m not as strongly opinionated on this one.

Kate Constable:

I think this team will be somewhat fun to watch or more fun than last season. You have Jalen Green, he can score at will, he’ll be exciting. At least hopefully draw some more fans to their arena than they’ve had in the previous years. But that is all we have for today guys recapping the Western Conference. We are going to talk about the Eastern Conference on Friday. So, don’t forget to subscribe to BetUS’ YouTube channel and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss out on any of the exclusive content that we’ll be putting up and also don’t miss the 125% bonus in our BetUS page.. And if you enjoyed this video, go ahead and give us a thumbs up. Thanks guys. We will see you back here on Friday.

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