NBA Pick: Bucks to Win the NBA Championship (+525) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
With the NBA in the All-Star break, it’s a great time for us to take a look at the championship odds. With an exciting season going on and lots of player movement at the trade deadline, the NBA landscape is significantly different than it was at the beginning of the season when these NBA odds were first posted.
Let’s check in to see where the top teams are and which teams are worth a bet to make a winning NBA pick.
Boston Celtics (+325)
The Boston Celtics are the team that is favored to win the championship and this makes sense. The Boston Celtics are 42-17, the best record in the NBA this season. The Boston Celtics are third in the NBA averaging 117.9 points per game.
The Celtics have the highest net rating in the NBA at plus 6.2. Also, they are in the top five of both offensive and defensive ratings and are the only team in the NBA to be in the top five in both categories.
There was some concern in Boston after losing last year’s head coach Ime Udoka, but Joe Mazzulla has stepped in and performed admirably well. This team has not missed a beat, and if anything, they look stronger than last year’s team.
The Celtics are led by Jayson Tatum, who just scored the All-Star MVP and are definitely a top choice to win the NBA Finals. However, at this price, I believe there are better bets on the board.
Phoenix Suns (+450)
Unlike the Celtics, who have a season-long body of work to make them the favorite, the Phoenix Suns are on top due to their trade deadline acquisition of former MVP Kevin Durant.
Durant is one of the best players of all time and we could argue that he was playing the best basketball in the NBA before he went down with an injury. After his failed attempt to form a super team in Brooklyn, Durant is now playing with Devin Booker and Chris Paul under the guidance of Coach Monty Williams.
A bet on Phoenix is essentially a bet on Kevin Durant. The Suns were having a good season but did not look to be a true contender before the acquisition of Durant. Also, the Suns paid a hefty price to acquire Durant. In a league that is dominated by wings, the Suns gave up Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.
Both players are excellent defensive players and the Suns will definitely miss the depth that these two players provided them. However the cost of greatness is high, and the cost of greatness, in this case, was these two excellent forwards.
Chance to Win the Title
While I can understand making a case for the Suns, at this price, there are too many variables for me to feel like this is a good wager. All three of the Suns stars Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul have had separate injuries this year and for them to win all three will need to stay healthy.
Also, there is the lack of depth that’s going to force these players to really be pushed to the limit with their minutes during the playoffs. Finally, because of Durant’s injury, they will have even less time to get used to playing each other with each other. The Suns definitely have a great chance to win the title but at this price, I also don’t think this is a good bet.
Milwaukee Bucks (+525)
The Milwaukee Bucks headed into the All-Star break as the hottest team in the NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks have won 12 games in a row and are now within a half-game of the Boston Celtics. The Bucks recently returned to full strength with Khris Middleton finally coming back from injury. Middleton has been the missing piece that this team needed and now the Bucks are in a position to make another championship run.
The Bucks will be the Celtics’ biggest test in the East. Getting home-court advantage will be crucial as this is a series that has seven games written all over it.
The Bucks are better than last year’s team that lost to the Celtics. The Bucks will have Khris Middleton back and also acquired Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder, two veteran forwards. Although the Boston Celtics have been leading the NBA all year, the Bucks have quietly caught them in the standings.
I believe they are being overlooked due to the small market that they play in. I believe the Bucks are a great value to win the NBA championship at +525.
NBA Pick: Bucks to Win the NBA Championship (+525) at BetOnline
Denver Nuggets (+750)
Like their counterparts in the East, the Boston Celtics, the Denver Nuggets have sat atop the NBA standings all season.
The Nuggets are currently 41-18 in the West. They have a five-game lead over the Western Conference’s second-best team, the Memphis Grizzlies. Barring a catastrophe, the Nuggets will have home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.
The Denver Nuggets are third in the league in net rating at +4.5 and are first in the NBA with a 117.6 offensive rating. The Nuggets are tied for first place in the league with a three-point percentage of 39.2%. Also, they have the most potent offense in the league. The question is, will they be able to get the stops necessary to win the title?
I think the Denver Nuggets have a great chance to win the NBA title but my concern is their defense. The Nuggets will still have to prove that they can get it done in a playoff series. Also, they have two players that are prone to injuries in Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Although I think that the Nuggets do have a great chance to win the title, I’m hesitant to put a bet on them at this price.
Golden State Warriors (+1200)
As the best franchise in the NBA over the past 5 years, the Warriors can never be counted out of this conversation. However, the Warriors have too many questions around them this season to qualify as a good bet. When the Warriors are healthy they can compete with anyone. However, there is plenty of turmoil around this team.
Warriors star Klay Thompson is not the player he once was, and the Warriors do not have the depth or chemistry that they displayed last season. The Warriors’ reliance on Jordan Poole for the offense has weakened what is considered to be one of their strengths, their underrated defense.
With the Warriors unable to lock in and get stops when necessary, I do not believe that this is their year.
Los Angeles Clippers (+1200)
The Clippers have all the makings of a championship roster. They have a former NBA champion leading the way in Kawhi Leonard. Paul George is an excellent number two offensive option and can light up the scoreboard at any time. Plus, the Clippers have the deepest roster in the league and can fluctuate between being an offensive juggernaut or a defensive dynamo.
Because the Clippers have been so inconsistent in the regular season, their NBA championship odds are being discounted. However, if this team stays healthy, they arguably have the best roster in the West.
With Kawhi Leonard’s championship experience and the coaching genius of Ty Lue, they can’t be counted out in any series. A bet on the Los Angeles Clippers is a good bet to win the NBA Finals.
For Los Angeles residents looking to bet on this team, you can do it at our top California betting sites.
NBA Pick: Clippers to Win the NBA Championship (+1200) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
