After one of the most exciting off-seasons in NBA history, the 2017-18 regular season gets underway this Wednesday (AEST) with two massive games to open proceedings. The Reigning Champion Golden State Warriors remain favourites to go back to back but with some blockbuster deals done throughout the winter, some other contenders have entered the mix. We take a look at some of the best value future bets for the 2017-18 NBA season below.
NBA Championship
As we mentioned above, a few teams made some big moves that will allow them to throw their hat in the rings as contenders for the NBA Championship. However, regardless of how much they improved, all roads lead to Golden State and the star studded lineup that is the Warriors.
At odds of $1.63 before opening tip off, the Warriors are the shortest priced favourite in recent history and for good reason. They were able to win a ridiculous 67 games last year despite the fact that arguably their best player in Kevin Durant missed 20 games through injury. They’ll head into the upcoming season with a very similar looking core line-up. They have also added a few serviceable role players in Nick Young and Omri Casspi, both of whom will only make them more of a threat from beyond the arc.
They rolled through the NBA playoffs last season, losing only one game en-route to their title win, and judging by that dominance it’s hard to even consider anyone else for the title in the upcoming season. However, the Warriors run through the Western Conference playoffs this year should get significantly harder with a few teams improving, which might hinder their ability to be as dominant when they inevitably meet LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals.
Oklahoma City, Houston and San Antonio all took steps to improve their rosters in the off-season, and there’s a good chance Golden State will have to meet at least two of them on their way to the NBA finals this year. OKC had probably the busiest trade period of any team as they added two proven superstars in Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to join Russel Westbrook at the Thunder. They combine for an extremely damaging big three and with the likes of Steven Adams, Patrick Patterson, Jerami Grant and Raymond Felton as role players, the Thunder will be aiming to go deep in the playoffs this season.
The Spurs won 61 games in a canter last season and were derailed in the finals by an injury to MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard. They will no doubt be back and as consistent as ever this season, especially after adding Rudy Gay to their frontcourt. Gay gives the Spurs real scoring power off the bench, something they have lacked in previous years and with Leonard set to improve again, they are a worthy favourite in the Western Conference.
TIP: San Antonio OVER 54.5 regular season wins - $1.80 at Sportsbet
The other chance in the West seems to be the Houston Rockets. James Harden had one of the best statistical years in NBA history last season as the Rockets cruised to a 55 win season on the beack of Mike D’Antoni’s run and gun system. They added all-star PG Chris Paul to the mix the season who should thrive under the D’Antoni system and they will once again be one of the highest scoring teams in the league.
While both Washington and Toronto put up fantastic seasons last year, the Eastern Conference looks like its shaping up to be a two horse race with Cleveland and Boston both improving out of sight. While the Cavs lost Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, one could argue that they actually got better in the off season, picking up Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder in the trade whilst also signing Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Jeff Green and Jose Calderon in free agency. With the moves the Cavs became the deepest team in the league and now possess real threats off the bench to challenge that of the Warriors.
TIP: Cleveland Cavaliers OVER 54.5 regular season wins - $1.80 at Ladbrokes
The Celtics won a Eastern Conference high 53 games last season and while they lost the catalyst of most of those wins, Isaiah Thomas, they did pick up one of the most exciting point guards in the league in Kyrie Irving. They also added proven all-star small forward Gordon Hayward through free agency and picked up Jayson Tatum with the #3 selection in the draft. While Boston don’t go as deep on the bench as the likes of the Warriors or Cavs, their starting five is as good as anyone’s and their defence on the wing positions in particular remains a massive threat to the top teams.
After all the talk of other teams improving in a bid to catch up to the Warriors, it’s still impossible to not have them as the favourites for the title this season. They have the ability to score 120 on any given night with the offensive talent but their defence, led by Draymond Green and bought into by every player on the roster was also the number one ranked in the league last season. They are a juggernaut on both ends of the floor and while it might not be the sexiest pick, they are our tip to go back to back.
TIP: Golden State to win the NBA Championship - $1.63 at Ladbrokes
Regular Season Wins
There are a few regular season win lines that really take our fancy this season, especially with the fact that this is the last season that teams will be able to tank for a better chance at winning the draft lottery.
The tanking candidate team that we like the most is the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks won 43 games last season but were completely gutted in the off-season, offloading the majority of their good players, most notably Dwight Howard, Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver and Tim Hardaway. There were only 2 teams that won under 25 games last season but with the league arguably being much more top heavy this season and the Hawks being in the bottom few teams in the league, we love the under here.
TIP: Atlanta Hawks UNDER 25.5 regular season wins - $2 at Ladbrokes
The other team line that we really like is the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves won just 31 games last season and after the additions of Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague, the bookies have set their line at a whopping 48.5 wins. For them to improve by 18 games solely through the addition of a couple of players who have yet to prove they can be the best player on a good team is a massive stretch. Especially in an absolutely loaded Western Conference we think their win total will be in the low 40s.
TIP: Minnesota Timberwolves UNDER 48.5 regular season wins - $1.80 at Ladbrokes
MVP
The MVP in the NBA is always an interesting thing to bet on because if he wanted to, LeBron James could go win it year in year out. There’s no denying he is still the best player in the league but with such a deep roster at the Cavs this year he probably won’t have to do as much for his team to secure wins. There’s also a chance that he will rest game this year, especially late in the season if the Cavs have a playoff spot wrapped up.
Former OKC teammates Russel Westbrook and Kevin Durant are favourites for the trophy but its San Antonio small forward Kawhi Leonard who we like. The Spurs will most likely be in the top three in the Western Conference again this year and with another season in the legs of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, Kawhi will be asked to do even more on the offensive end. His claim as the best defensive player in the league is already solidified which could be the decisive factor in what could be a tight MVP race this year.
TIP: Kawhi Leonard to win MVP - $5.50 at Sportsbet
Other individual award tips:
Rookie of the Year: Dennis Smith - $6 at Unibet
Coach of the Year: Erik Spoelstra - $26 at Sportsbet
Most Improved Player: Dennis Schroder - $12 at Sportsbet
6th Man of the Year: Rudy Gay - $21 at Sportsbet
Scoring Title: Damian Lillard - $17 at Sportsbet
Follow @andyrosos on Twitter for more tips and nonsensical sports comments
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