Surging Cavaliers Lead Pack in NBA Futures Betting
As the NBA regular season enters its final month, the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to solidify their position as favorites to win the 2015 NBA championship, sporting odds of 2/1 in NBA futures betting at some of the operators reviewed by bettingsports.com.
The Cavs endured a difficult first half to their season, posting a worrisome 19-20 SU record through their first 39 games, and putting the playoff hopes in jeopardy after opening the season as 5/2 NBA championship betting favorites.
However, since the return of Lebron James, who was sidelined for eight games in early January due to a knee injury, the Cavaliers have caught fire, going 23-5 SU in their last 28 outings, garnering James attention as an MVP candidate, with odds of 8/1 in NBA player props online betting.
The Golden State Warriors remain the Cavs’ closest competition on the NBA futures betting odds menu, pegged at 15/4.
Led by point guard Stephen Curry, the current favorite in NBA MVP betting with short 1/2 odds, the Warriors have compiled the NBA’s best regular-season record and reach mid-March with a commanding seven-game lead over Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA’s Western Conference standings.
The defending champion San Antonio Spurs follow, listed as a 7/1 bet to claim their fifth NBA title since 2003.
The Spurs have failed to dominate this season the way they have in previous campaigns, twice enduring four-game SU losing streaks while posting a dismal 28-34-2 ATS record through their first 64 games. However, the club has enjoyed a solid March, going 6-1 SU in their last seven, 5-2 ATS, as calendar reaches the middle of the month.
The Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks round out the front of the pack in NBA championship futures betting, with 15/2 odds at sportsbooks available through bettingsports.com.
The Hawks have been a revelation this season, reaching the 50-win plateau in just 63 games after posting just 38 wins all of last season. After posting back-to-back SU losses just once since mid-November, the Hawks are poised to claim their first division title since 1994.
However, Atlanta has been a betting disappointment in recent weeks, recording just eight ATS wins in their last 20 outings, and a miserable 2-7 ATS in their last nine contests in which they were favored by seven or more points.
The Oklahoma City Thunder follow the Hawks in NBA futures betting, with 9/1 odds, trailed by the Grizzlies at a respectable 10/1.
The Chicago Bulls, who have struggled since losing former MVP Derrick Rose to yet another serious knee injury, sit at 16/1, ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers at 18/1. The Houston Rockets are deadlocked with the Portland Trailblazers at 28/1, followed by the Dallas Mavericks at 33/1.
The Toronto Raptors continue to lead the standings in weak Atlantic Division, but with just one SU win in 10 games since mid-February, the Dinos have seen their NBA futures betting odds tumble to 50/1.
The Raptors are joined by the Indiana Pacers at 50/1, followed by the Washington Wizards at 66/1 and the New Orleans Pelicans at 100/1.
The Miami Heat sit alongside the Milwaukee Bucks at 150/1, while the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets are pegged at a distant 300/1. The Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns sit well back of the pack at 500/1, but remain ahead of the Detroit Pistons, who enter the regular season home stretch as 750/1 longshots.