2015/16 NBA Championship Betting Tip
The 2015/16 NBA season has snuck up on most sports fans. Perhaps this is due to the fact it has been a largely uneventful offseason by NBA standards and the media is still searching for the storyline to launch the season with.
We thought we’d kick the year betting the NBA off with some long-range predictions and betting plays and again before the season starts. Alright, no more pre-amble let’s cut straight to the chase.
Here’s who is winning the 2015/16 NBA Championship and why…
Oklahoma City Thunder – $8.50 at Luxbet
How quickly they forget! They, being the odds makers in this situation.
This team was on the rise to becoming one of the leagues powerchises (a new word we’ve made up blending powerhouses and franchises) before injury and the Harden disaster derailed plans. After an early exit from last years playoffs this team is ready to bounce back, healthy (touchwood) and most importantly, angry!
They’ve got a chip on their shoulder because everyone has written them off. Everyone is talking about Durant leaving town and everyone can’t help themselves but bring up the Harden trade at some point.
However, here’s the thing. They have two of the best five players in the league in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Westbrook’s show time stretch last season when Durant went down was absolutely incredible and KD was the league’s MVP before he got hurt. Forget Thompson and Curry, Irving and James, Paul and Griffin. The best one-two punch in the NBA is Durant and Westbrook.
In a league of 32 teams, to have two guys in the top 10 let alone the top five is an extraordinary advantage. Statistically on an even pick-by-pick draft style spread you normally get the best player and the 33rd best player or perhaps two guys in the teens if you had a mid round pick. Not the Thunder. King James aside, they have two of the major heirs to the throne! The NBA is a star-driven league and star power wins out in almost any situation not involving the Spurs.
The Thunder are a deep roster with many young players still to reach their potential, which from a gambling point of view represents important upside. The metrics and models have a difficult time quantifying the leaps players make from year to year and I think we are forgetting just how young this Thunder core of Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, Kanter, Adams, Roberson and Singler is. If they can get anything out of Dion Waiters at all it would be a massive bonus, but we’ve all but written off his contribution, or lack there of, in terms of crunch time lineups! It wouldn’t be surprising if they try to trade him although can’t imagine the market is really there.
The Thunder are hungry! They’ve been ruined by injuries and the very well documented Harden saga as mentioned earlier but they also made a run at the NBA finals just a few years back. They were a touch wet behind the ears and strapped by the offensive corpse that was Kendrick Perkins on that occasion, but it would have no doubt lit a burning fire in the minds of Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka.
And…
They sacked Scott Brooks. He showed glimpses of being a good coach but failed too many times. Late game his play calling not only lacked creativity but his line-ups were not flexible enough. In fact, apart from his often brilliant out-of-timeout plays, he was very ordinary when it mattered.
A fresh clean sheet is what the roster and the franchise needed. Good luck Billy Donovan!
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a terrific bet to win the NBA championship this season. We have rated them a $5 chance and very keen to lock in the price of $8.50 at Luxbet.
Just be careful if looking at backing Kevin Durant for season MVP however as the Thunder are likely to nurse him through the regular season as he overcomes the foot issues.
We’ll be back with another column highlighting some other long range season bets early in the week!
