Attention all degenerate sports gamblers!! We’re just over the halfway point of the NBA season and we’ve seen our share of bad beats, backdoor covers, and gut-wrenching upsets. Whether you’ve been profitable up to this point or not, I hope you’ve still got a couple bucks in your pocket to throw at your bookie. I’m going to outline some future bets to place now before the value of them fades as the season wears on. I’ll give you my picks to win each division of the NBA as well as my MVP pick. Obviously different sites will have different odds but I’m going by the odds on Bovada. We’ll start in the Central Division where the hometown Milwaukee Bucks are heavily favored.
Central Division
The Bucks have a 2.5 game lead on the Pacers for first place but are -500 to win the division. There’s no way I’m betting against the Bucks to take the crown here even though the odds are so juiced. They’re such a complete team and Coach Bud has them trending in the right direction. Expect them to open up a 4 or 5 game lead on the rest of the division in the second half of the year.
Atlantic Division
There’s 3 legit teams that could win this division but again I’m going with the current leader which is Toronto. They are -425 to take the division and hold a 3.5 game lead over the Sixers. Both the Sixers and Celtics could make a run at the division title here but I think in the end the Raptors pull it out. They’ve played chunks of the season without key players including Kyle Lowry (11 games), Kawhi (10 games) and Jonas Valanciunas (16 games) but still have an NBA-best 33-13 record. As Toronto continues to get healthy and build chemistry they should hold off both Boston and Philadelphia.
Northwest Division
Every team in this division has a chance to make the playoffs and sent 4 of 5 teams there last season (T’Wolves beat Nuggets in OT of the last regular season game to get in). So far this year the Nuggets have a 3 game lead on the Thunder and 3.5 on the Blazers. Of these teams, I’m taking the Thunder at +250 to win the division. Paul George is back to MVP caliber play and Russ being Russ gives this pick value at +250.
Pacific Division
All you need to know is the Warriors were never not going to win this division. With that being said, the odds are -9000 so I’m not even putting money here.
Southeast Division
The Southeast is probably one of the harder divisions to pick a winner for because all the teams are jumbled up and no one team is much better than another. With that being said, the Heat currently hold a 1.5 game lead over the Hornets. I’m riding with stepback Kemba and Buzz City at +170. The Heat are a tough team but are 3-8 within the division. The champion here is going to be a team that can win tough division games.
Southwest Division
At first glance many people would take the Rockets and never look back. However, I’m fading Houston and going with the Alamo. The Spurs are +450 to win the division and are currently tied with the Rockets at the top. Yes the Rockets have been ravaged by injuries so far this season but something tells me that isn’t going to stop in the 2nd half of the year. Plus Pop said he doesn’t know if he’s going to coach next year and there’s no way he rides off into the sunset as 2nd best.
MVP
Being the Bucks and Giannis fan that I am, it hurts me to pick with my head not my heart but the MVP is James Harden. Giannis will finish 2nd and win it next year but Harden is going back to back like Drizzy. The Beard is currently on a historic run scoring 30+ points in 18 consecutive games and coming off back to back 57+ point performances. When it comes down to it, JHarden will finish with more jaw dropping games than Giannis. I suggest you grab Harden at +115 before this number goes minus.
