NBA Futures – The Dark Horses
Ok, so it is pretty obvious what the favorites are at most sportsbooks when it comes to the Western Conference champion (Lakers), Eastern Conference champion (Cavs and Celtics), and the MVP (LeBron James), but they are not givens, as there are some good odds out there for some dark horses.
Western Conference
Yeah, the Lakers have the best record in the NBA, a guy named Kobe, and a Zen master at the helm, but they are not a lock to win the Western Conference this year. Want a dark horse? No, it’s not the Spurs but the Utah Jazz, who have good odds at all sportsbooks that post NBA futures. The Jazz are currently in the 7th position in the West, but are playing good ball as of late winning 2 in a row and 7 out of their last 10 games. They are only 1.5 games out of the 4th position, which would give them home court in the first round of the playoffs. The reason that they may be a good pick is that they have Deron Williams at the point and Carlos Boozer is back to his dominant self, especially on the glass. Also, the Jazz took the Lakers to 6 games in last season’s Conference Finals.
Eastern Conference
Yeah, yeah, everyone is talking about the Cavs vs. Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, but what about the Orlando Magic? The Magic have good odds and they are legit. The Magic are only 1 game behind the Celtics for the 2nd spot in the East and they have won 3 straight games. Dwight Howard is the most dominant center in the league and picking up PG Rafer Alston was a great move. The Celtics have been killed by injuries lately and the Magic match up pretty well with the Cavs. Don’t be surprised if the Magic score an upset in the East and get to the NBA Finals.
MVP Race
This one is not really tough to call, as LeBron should win the award and that can be seen by the odds he has at most sportsbooks. However, Dwayne Wade will be looked at hard by many voters, as the Miami Heat are currently in the 5th position in the Eastern Conference and Wade is the main reason, as the Heat do not have a stacked team. Wade leads the NBA in scoring and he missed most of last season, as the Heat only won 15 games. With his this season they have a current win total of 37. That’s a 22 game improvement and the season is not over yet. How can you not look at that fact and say Wade is not a legit MVP candidate?
Dont Agree? Let us Know. We love hearing your thoughts and picks!
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