It's the MOST wonderful time of the year. Football is in full swing. The NBA is finally upon us. College basketball is just around the corner. The winter air is brewing. The Christmas season is quickly approaching. What more could a guy ask for?
I'm here to give you some of my personal NBA "future bets" for the year. Future bets are bets that you make regarding the outcome of NBA awards, win totals, and playoff outcomes. Disclaimer -- I am not actually placing any of these bets. Not because of a lack of confidence, but because of a lack of patience. Having a bet ongoing for the entirety of the NBA season does not appeal to me. Because of this, I am here "placing" my bets on my blog.
I will list each bet and follow it with a short explanation.
ROCKETS OVER 31.5 WINS
- Because of Jabari Smith, I have become somewhat of a Rockets fan. I am not making this bet because I am a fan. I am making this bet because I think this team has uncapped potential. They picked up Fred Vanvleet in the offseason, and he filled a huge void on this team, especially now that Kevin Porter Jr. is gone. The Rockets desperately need consistent play at the guard spot. KPJ was a hit or miss, and Jalen Green is just as streaky himself. Vanvleet is a proven winner, and I think he can carry this team to another level. Not only that, but having him at the point guard spot will open Jalen Green up to move more off the ball and be a more dangerous threat. They have great young pieces in Jabari Smith, Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore, and Amen Thompson, and if Alperen Sengun can take care of the basketball, he can be a great center in this league. This team will be streaky, but I think they will ultimately win somewhere between 32 and 36 games.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: NBA CHAMPIONS
-This team has the second best odds in the league to win the NBA finals at +410, right behind the Boston Celtics at +370. The Bucks finished first in the Eastern Conference last year with a record of 58-24, but ended up getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat. This may lead you to believe that this team is fraudulent since they lost 4 games to 1 to the eight seed, but let me point out that this Miami team went on to win the East and play the Nuggets in the finals. They were only the second 8 seed to ever make the NBA finals. I say all this to point out that the Bucks loss in the first round was not as bad as it may seem on paper. I think all the fraudulent accusations made against this team has upset Giannis, and the last thing this league wants is a 6'11", 243 pound freak of nature playing with a chip on his shoulder. The Bucks did lose Jrue Holiday, who I believe is the most underrated player in the league, to the Celtics this offseason. This was a big hit to the Bucks, but they recovered by picking up superstar Damian Lillard to fill the void. I think Lillard will provide the spark of offense this team needs to return to and ultimately win the NBA finals.
NBA MVP: LUKA DONCIC OR ANTHONY EDWARDS
-Picking an MVP candidate is very difficult. Will the guy stay healthy? Will he be given a lot of "load management?" Will he mesh with the new guys? These are all questions to consider when trying to decide who will win the MVP for any particular season. And the truth is, you really just have to hope that you're a good guesser. I am picking Luka Doncic to win MVP solely based off the fact that since he's been so close for a few years, I feel like voters will feel compelled to give it to him. He typically stays healthy, he's consistent, and outside of Kyrie, I don't know of anyone that will take many shots on this team. If the Mavericks are going to win, Luka is going to have to "get his" every night. He is a competitor, so I am confident that he will.
- If you are looking for a value pick, go with Anthony Edwards. He is currently +3400 on most sportsbooks to win MVP. Let me say, I don't think he will win it. However, if you are looking to make big time money, I think he is very valuable at these odds. Edwards was the clear star on Team USA this summer, and I think his performance will give him the confidence he needs to make a big jump this year. Will that jump be enough to win MVP? Probably not. But I think there's a chance. He's a high volume shooter, so he will at least give himself the opportunity to be one of the top scorers in the league.
I might add some more if I get some time, but this is all that I have for now. Each team/player that I mentioned opens their season tonight, and I am looking forward to seeing how these predictions look after game one.
Comments