The NBA season is right around the corner, and we have plenty of exciting drama and intrigue heading into the upcoming season. The NBA is a year-round entertainment franchise with free agency, the draft, and off-season trades keeping the sport in the spotlight for the whole year long.
Many of these offseason moves directly impact our upcoming season. Let’s take a look at the top storylines of the upcoming year and find winning picks.
Who Takes the Eastern Crown?
The West seems to get better every season while the East continues to flounder. In the East’s case it isn’t their fault this year, due to injuries of the stars of the top two teams (when will teams learn not to play players off of calf injuries?).
The Boston Celtics were considered to be the top team in the East but losing Jayson Tatum was a tough blow. Also, having to jettison multiple All-Stars, such as Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, due to salary cap constraints has made them to be a good team, however not a contender for this upcoming year.
The Indiana Pacers are in the same spot. The Pacers have made two consecutive Eastern Conference Finals but with the loss of guard Tyrese Haliburton it is unlikely that they will be able to make their third trip in a row to the Finals. The Pacers, like the Celtics, are in a gap year and will be looking ahead to the 2026-27 season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be the top team in the East by the odds at BetMGM (check our BetMGM Review), and the New York Knicks will be right behind them. On their heels will be the Orlando Magic and the Detroit Pistons. The Atlanta Hawks have an outside chance of making some noise, but unless an unexpected team were to make a big move, these are the only true contenders in the East. Contrast that to the West where there are 10 teams that could potentially make the Conference Finals.
Who Rules the Wild West?
Many teams in the West improved this offseason. Most notably, the Houston Rockets acquired star forward Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. The Rockets had struggled with half court creation and playmaking, and Kevin Durant will address these issues. The Rockets are now a team to be feared in the West.
The Denver Nuggets just jettisoned the streaky and sometimes lazy Michael Porter Jr. In return they’ve added Cam Johnson and Bruce Brown to the lineup. This move gives the Nuggets better defensive ability, and more depth. These key moves along with this subtraction of Russell Westbrook, make Denver a true contender in the West
Of course Oklahoma City Thunder will be defending their championship and returning all their players. The Thunder were already one of the youngest teams in the league, and without taking any major losses, will still be the favorite in the West. These three aforementioned Western teams are much better than anything the East has to offer.
The Los Angeles Lakers added Luka Doncic and he looks quite fit going into this season. This is off the heels of him being criticized for not taking his conditioning seriously. Whether it’s LA, or the way that he was traded that sparked a fire under Luka, his condition looks excellent and the league needs to watch out. This is the best he has looked physically since his rookie season. The Lakers are always a threat, especially with their ability to get big name players at the trade deadline.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have made two Conference Finals in a row and should continue to improve. The Golden State Warriors will always be a threat as long as they have Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler. The Portland Trail Blazers will be much better this season after acquiring Jrue Holiday. The Los Angeles Clippers are always dangerous, especially if they can stay healthy.
The San Antonio Spurs added the number 2 overall pick in the draft, Dylan Harper, and returned Victor Wembanyama to the lineup. The Dallas Mavericks got one of the top prospects over the last 5 years when they were able to draft Cooper Flagg number one overall. The West is going to be tough night in and night out, and any of these teams could possibly make the Conference Finals.
Where Smart NBA Money Goes
So, in the top heavy East and a wide open West, who should we bet? In the East, I prefer the two long shots. While the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are the rightful favorites at the top sportsbooks, there’s no reason for locking up your money in a favorite right now. I would prefer to get some exposure to the Knicks and the Cavaliers during the season if they go through a slump or suffer some injuries. Right now the payoff does not justify tying up your money long term.
Sleeper Pick of the East
Therefore the two teams that we are looking at are the Orlando Magic and the Detroit Pistons. The Orlando Magic already one of the top defensive teams in the league and got better by adding Desmond Bane this offseason. Not only that, but the Orlando Magic will return Jalen Suggs to the lineup and can expect another year of improvement in development from Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. This is a price we can get behind. Take the Orlando Magic.
Pistons Poised To Surprise in East
While the Detroit Pistons seem to be a piece or two farther away from true contention than the Orlando Magic, they do have the ammo to make moves during the season and potentially improve to be the top team in the East. Cade Cunningham has been an excellent player, and they will return Jaden Ivey to lineup. The Pistons’ price reflects the fact that they are not the same level of contender however. Yet both these prices are worth a value bet right now.
Denver’s Moves Make Them Dangerous
The West is a little tougher but I personally like the moves that the Denver Nuggets made. Although Houston looks to be improved, the Nuggets still do have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic and do have Championship pedigree. Even with the inferior roster of last season they pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games. Sometimes in basketball it’s as simple as betting on the best player. We will do just that. Take the Denver Nuggets.
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
