NBA futures: Should you back one of these teams to win the title?
At this point in the NBA season, you probably already know which teams oddsmakers are favoring to be champions this spring. So why do certain teams doing well in the standings have such long odds of winning?
It's a no-brainer that the Boston Celtics (+260) and the defending champion Denver Nuggets (+475) are the favorites at DraftKings to win it all given where they stand in their conferences. Outside of that, there are teams both in the East and the West that have been playing very well but still have long odds of winning the next NBA Finals.
Here is a look at a couple of teams with longer odds who are making a case to be worth your bet to win the next NBA title.
If you want a team in the East that has exceeded expectations this season, look no further than the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yardbarker has already discussed how the Cavs' odds shortened drastically after the trade deadline. So why are they still 30-1 long shots at DraftKings to win it all?
ClutchPoints points out that Cleveland has a fairly easy schedule for the remainder of the season -- the 15th easiest, to be exact -- and that second place in the East "is for the Cavs, and only the Cavs, to lose" as they make a push for a deep playoff run.
If Cleveland finishes the season off strong and keeps pace with the Celtics in the standings they could have home-court advantage to kick off the playoffs, and they have gone 19-9 at home so far this season. Keeping that in mind, the Cavaliers are looking like a better bet to win it all than their current odds imply.
Out West, the team that has emerged as the team to beat is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yet oddsmakers still seem a bit iffy when it comes to Chet Holmgren and company going to distance. Despite battling their way to second place in the conference, DK still lists them at 25-1 to be the next league champions.
The longer odds could have a lot to do with the team not making the playoffs in the last three years. It could also be because this team is on the younger, scrappier side, although that could benefit them as they make a push for their first championship since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City.
"We have no ceiling on what we think we can do this year," MVP hopeful Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said, via USA Today. "We kind of take the same mentality and just stay in the moment, plug away every day."
OKC doesn't have the easiest schedule in the second half of the season, and how they play over the next month will say a lot about their chances of winning a title this year. If they can hang tough -- or even better, win -- against playoff-bound teams like the LA Clippers while not falling into trap games against bottomfeeders the San Antonio Spurs, the Thunder will look like an even more appealing bet at 25-1 odds.
So when you're making your picks to win the NBA title this year, keep these two teams in mind. They may have longer odds than some of their rivals, but they are both have potential to be surprise bets come playoff time.
More must-reads: