Finding Value in NBA Future Bets - Can Phoenix Win It All?

If you are NBA fan it is getting closer and closer to the best time of the year. The Playoffs are just around the corner, meaning it is time for the intensity to ramp up, the best teams are playing their best basketball, the lower teams are doing all they can to get into the play-in games and the players are pushing for the awards. 

Photo Credit: NBA.com 

Some years it can be impossible to still get in NBA future bets at this time of the year, for example the 2017 Warriors were by far the favorite team to win the title and the odds reflected that. This year, for some unknown reason (which I will get into later), their is no “super” favorite and we can still find some really good value in the teams we believe in. I disagree with the odds on some of these teams, and I really believe in a particular future bet which I will be giving out for free in this article. I will also be giving you my NBA power rankings (top 4 in each conference) at the end. 

FREE NBA FUTURE PICK: 

According to the lines, the Brooklyn Nets are still the slight favorite to win the NBA championship, this is directly correlated to their pure superstar power in Kevin Durant (arguably the best scoring forward of all time) and Kyrie Irving (one of the most skilled finishes of all time). It doesn’t look like Ben Simmons will be back at all these season, and without him the Nets have no real defensive stars. Whilst they will be a tough team to be in a seven game series I can really see multiple teams being good enough to take them out. 

The NBA is all about matchups, the Bucks, Heat and Celtics in particular matchup really well against Brooklyn, the Sixers however might struggle more with they bench. The defensive issues with the Nets and the fact they are basically a two man team I don’t see any value in taking them at this value to win the NBA championship or even the Eastern Conference. 

This gets me to free future pick. It’s actually kind of crazy how no one is talking about how good the Phoenix Suns really are. You watch their games and you can actually see them flick a switch when they need to and completely take over a game. They are on track to win roughly 66 games. Historically, teams that win at least X number of games have gone on to win the title at a 70.5% clip. 

Just in case you are interested in who these teams are, here is the complete list: 

That’s an incredibly high number, especially when you consider that Phoenix was just two games away last year from taking the crown and this year they are even better. Chris Paul is still great and can completely orchestrate that offense, alongside Devin Booker who can put up 40+ points on 60% shooting on any given night. The Suns are also 3rd in offensive rating and 2nd in defensive rating for the season. The even more convincing number is their clutch stats. The Suns are 32-6 in “close game situations” with a net rating of 32.8 (more than double 2nd place). Their offensive rating is 1st at 131.3 and their defensive rating is second at 98.5. In other words, it gets tight? The Phoenix Suns completely take over.

The Suns have been the most dominant team all season long. 

FREE PICK: Phoenix Suns Western Conference Champions

Power Rankings: 

WEST: 

1. Phoenix Suns 
2. Memphis Grizzlies 
3. Golden State Warriors 
4. Dallas Mavericks

EAST:   

1. Milwaukee Bucks 
2. Miami Heat
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Brooklyn Nets
5. Boston Celtics (special mention on added 5th power ranking. I would’ve ranked the Celtics first if it wasn’t for the injury to Robert Williams) 

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