There are lots of reasons for basketball fans to be excited about the 2015-16 NBA season.
Can the Golden State Warriors go back-to-back? Will the Cavs find redemption with a fully fit team to help the one and only LeBron James? Will a fit and firing Kevin Durant regain MVP form and take the Thunder to heights Oklahoma City haven’t reached since the 70's? Or will some new heroes emerge and steal the spotlight of the NBA world?
The first few games of the season tip off this Wednesday, October 28 (Australia time), but it will be this Thursday that the interesting games really launch what is sure to be a massive year. The team at Before You Bet is planning to release weekly NBA betting tips, focusing on the Thursday morning games and always including the main game that is aired on Australian TV. The full NBA schedule can be found on the NBA website.
Before we start with the regular NBA betting tips articles, however, we thought we would look at some of the futures betting markets available to punters.
The Championship
LeBron's Cavs are the favourite to win the 2015-16 NBA Championship, but the odds of $3.75 might be a little short as punters get excited about the legacy of one of the greatest players of all time. As usual, the Spurs are there abouts, while the Warriors are paying $5 to go back-to-back.
However, it might just be the Oklahoma City Thunder who are the value at the $8 mark. If Durant and Westbrook can stay fit there arent too many teams that can handle this elite one-two punch.
Odds - At CrownBet
Cleveland Cavs - $3.75
San Antonio Spurs - $4.50
Golden State Warriors - $5.50
Oklahoma City Thunder - $8.00
LA Clippers - $10.00
Chicago Bulls - $15.00
Eastern Conference
Can any team in the Eastern Conference match it with the Cavs? The bookies would have you believe they can’t, setting the odds at $1.50. Honestly, a lot would have to go wrong for the Cavs to not dominate the East. And if everything did go wrong, really you would have to think the Bulls are the only chance.
Odds - At CrownBet
Cleveland Cavs - $1.50
Chicago Bulls - $7.50
Miami Heat - $13.00
Atlanta Hawks - $15.00
Western Conference
Compared to the East, the Western Conference is wide open with arguably 3-4 legitimate chances. There is no doubt the two favourites in the Spurs and Warriors are going to be tough to beat, but once again we think the value is with the Thunder.
Odds - At CrownBet
San Antonio Spurs - $3.00
Golden State Warriors - $3.50
Oklahoma City Thunder - $5.50
LA Clippers - $6.00
Houston Rockets - $11.00
Regular Season MVP
The MVP is always a big talking point around NBA fans and that is no different in 2015-16. Not too surprisingly, LeBron James is the favourite, but once again his odds might be tad short simply because of his popularity factor. This is not an easy market to pick with Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook legitimate chances. To continue our Thunder bias, we think Durant might be the value here.
Odds - At CrownBet
LeBron James - 3.25
Steph Curry - $5.00
Anthony Davis - $5.50
Kevin Durant - $6.00
James Harden - $8.00
Russell Westbrook - $13.00
_ _ _
Consider betting on the NBA at CrownBet and you could boost your bankroll with one of the best sign-up bonuses in Australia - deposit $400 & get $600 ($1,000 to bet with)! All you have to do is sign-up through Before You Bet!Find out more on our CrownBet review page.
Make sure to read full terms and conditions of any betting promotion before placing any bets.
_ _ _
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
