NBA Betting: Conference Futures Odds
As the NBA returns from the all-star break for the unofficial second half of the season, oddsmakers are expecting the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets to eventually meet up in the NBA Finals, according to the latest NBA conference championship futures odds.
At Bovada Sportsbook, the Nets are EVEN-money favorites to win the Eastern Conference this season. Led by their big three of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, the Nets have looked unstoppable at times this season. And, that was without all three big names playing together in several games.
Nets have excelled against other Eastern contenders
One stat that may be in the Nets’ favor is that they are a solid 5-1 this season against other East contenders the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Not surprisingly, the four teams we just listed follow Brooklyn on the Eastern Conference futures with Milwaukee at +350, Philadelphia at +470, Boston at +1300 and Miami at +1400.
Is Milwaukee worth a bet at +350? It likely depends on which version of the Bucks will show up in the second half and in the playoffs. Will it be the one that rolled into the all-star break with wins in six of its last seven? Or the one that lost five straight in mid-February?
The best value pick in the East might be the Heat at +1400. Last season the Heat topped no one’s list when they surprised everyone on their way to the NBA Finals. If Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo can carry Miami back to the Finals, it would pay very well.
Lakers facing tougher second-half matchups
Moving over to the Western Conference, the Lakers are +120 favorites at Bovada to repeat as conference champs. The Lakers got off a little easy in the first half of the season with only one game against the Los Angeles Clippers and one game against the Utah Jazz. That changes in the second half as they’ll face both teams twice. How they do in those games could be a preview of the playoffs.
The Clippers and Jazz of course follow the Lakers on the Western Conference futures, with the Clippers at +325 and the Jazz at +350.
The Clippers battled through a number of games with their top stars absent in the first half of the season. Combined, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have missed 19 games, representing half of the Clippers games so far this season. That could make them more rested for the playoff grind or lead to lackluster chemistry when they sport a full lineup.
League-best Utah jazzing it up at home
The Jazz may be the most interesting team in the NBA right now. They own the best record in the league but are barely in the top five in most experts’ picks for the NBA title. One important stat to note is Utah’s excellent 15-2 record at home. If the Jazz can hold on to the best record in the league and earn home-court advantage, they could be tough to beat in the playoffs.