With the NBA entering post-All Star, now is the time for fans to consider wagering on teams and players who have shown potential this season.
Here are two heavily hittable spreads. The Boston Celtics have the highest-ranked offense in the league, and they flaunt the best record in the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves have the highest-ranking defense in the league and the winningest record behind Boston. Take both of these teams at a -5.5 spread every night. For Boston, 35 of their 43 wins have warranted a payout for such a bet. For Minnesota: 31 of their 39 wins would have paid this out. Take this spread — it’ll warrant profit most nights.
Regarding player propositions, three players are confident bets: Luka Doncic, Tyrese Haliburton and new league sensation Victor Wembanyama.
For Doncic, select 30+ points, 8+ rebounds, 6+ assists and 3+ 3-pointers made.
For Haliburton, select 15+ points, 10+ assists and 2+ 3-pointers made.
Wembanyama is in a league of his own; he’s 7-foot-4-inches, after all. Bet on 15+ points, 8+ rebounds, 2+ assists, 2+ blocks, 1+ steals, 1+ 3-pointers made. Take this every night and you may retire early.
A confident bet would be to pick a Western Conference team to win the championship. This may seem ambitious, but statistically speaking, a Western team has won the finals 16 of the last 24 years. Take a pick of the reigning champs, the Denver Nuggets, or a promising Minnesota Timberwolves team, or the Los Angeles Clippers (but only if they stay healthy).
Do not wager anything favoring the Golden State Warriors. It isn’t 2016 anymore. They squeaked into the All-Star break one game above .500 and appear to be a shadow of what once was. Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins are not the hoopers they once were. Draymond Green is more unpredictable than ever as he attends mandatory therapy sessions. Stephen Curry is still Stephen Curry, but his back is getting too old to carry the weight of an entire team. Just stay away. Disappointment will surely ensue.
Another steer-clear bet: any spread in favor of the Atlanta Hawks. They have the worst record against the spread in the NBA; only 30.9% of spreads have paid out. They’re too inconsistent to bet on.
A few ambitious bets are also worth consideration. Domantas Sabonis and Nikola Jokic triple-double often. They lead the league in said category with 18 and 15 respectively.
A grand choice would be to bet the spread in favor of the Orlando Magic habitually. They sit at 30-25, which doesn’t seem all too impressive, but they have the best record against the spread with a 65%-win rate. This is a thrilling, young team with off-the-charts charisma and synergy, not to mention the best social media team in the NBA (play the song!).
