Daniel Wettstein takes a look at the seeding games, team futures and player futures odds and shares his best bets ahead of the return to NBA action on July 30.
If your summer was anything like mine, it has seemed like an eternity since Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 and the NBA was completely shut down along with the rest of the World of Sports. But the wait is almost finally over, we will finally get live NBA games that count this Thursday, July 30.
We have already had a player break the bubble for “not their mama’s cooking”. One forgot he wasn’t supposed to leave his room yet during the original quarantine. Another thought getting a lap dance was essential before re-entering the bubble, and now will miss his team’s first 2 games at least. But with all this comedy going on, we have some serious basketball to look forward to in the very near future.
We get to enjoy a Skinny Joker, Bane…I mean Zion, Skinny ‘Melo, and Grey Beard Bron-Bron. Will these physical transformations lead to wins and not just make the rest of us realize how badly we wasted our quarantine? How can you not be excited to see how this Awesome August gets underway in just a few short days?!
I can’t wait to see if a juggernaut like the Lakers or Clippers can run a clean sweep and finish Seeding Games with an 8-0 record. Or will the Suns/Wizards fall completely flat and end up 0-8? Can my Nuggets and the talk of scrimmages Bol Bol shock the West with a “Land of Giants” lineup all the way to the Finals?
Well I am here to grow that excitement and give you a peek at some of the best betting action I can currently find. Below you will get a break down of what I believe to be some of the best bets I was able to find during a deep scouring of several sportsbooks.
Seeding Games:
The 2020 NBA Bubble Season kicks off on Thursday, July 30, 2020 with a double header slate. The first game is a showcase of the NBA’s newest superstar Zion Williamson. This is a game I would fade as the best line I could find was +115 on the Money Line. This does not mean you have no value on opening night as you should take a look at the second game featuring a SoCal Showdown.
The best line I could find was on FOXBet Colorado:
The reason I love this line is the Lakers will be without their 6th-Man of the Year candidate Lou Williams due to him feeling the need to party while on leave from the bubble for a “personal matter” for at least the first 2 games of the Seeding Games.
That coupled with the Clippers being able to face the Lakers on a neutral site as opposed to a hostile crowd no matter their designation of “Home” or “Away”. The Clippers were 2-1 with fans, I like their depth being intact over the banged up/quarantined lineup of the Lakers in this one.
Click here to bet on the Clippers to beat the Lakers (+155 at FOXBet Colorado)
Another game that stands out is the August 1, 2020 matchup of the 76ers and Pacers.
The best line again came from FOXBet Colorado:
The 76ers and Pacers have an identical record currently at 39-26 currently. So every game is essential for them, when it’s head to head, that win is worth double. These games were meant to create separation at places in the standings just like this. Whoever wins this game gains an early 1 game advantage on their opponent on whoever will play the higher seeded team in the first round of the playoffs (Heat/Celtics).
The Pacers currently hold a 2-1 advantage over the 76ers before the shutdown. Add in the 76ers being the absolute worst team on the road this year at 10-24. The 76ers are a team I would fade this Bubble Season in pretty much all formats.
Click here to bet on the Pacers to beat the 76ers (+185 at FOXBet Colorado)
Team Futures:
When it comes to Futures bets, not many seem as clear cut as taking the Lakers to win the West. And FOXBet Colorado comes through again with pretty nice odds:
Another great Team Futures bet from FOXBet Colorado has the Lakers winning the championship with a boost at +275. Or if you’re feeling really frisky look at the boost on the new look Denver Nuggets:
Click here to bet on the Nuggets to win the NBA Championship (+2800 at FOXBet Colorado)
Switching sportsbooks to DraftKings has you finding a few more Futures options including Finals Matchups. They also have the best odds on the favorite matchup of Lakers vs. Bucks at +310. If you want to scour for some contrarian matchups you can see some massive odds below as well. This is just a small sampling:
Click here to bet on the ‘Name The Finalists’ NBA market at DraftKings
Player Futures:
Rookie of the Year has been a 2 man race all year – Ja Morant and Zion Williamson. If you would have told me at the beginning of the year Ja would be the favorite to win this award at any point I would have laughed so loud you could actually hear it behind my mask. But as we stand he is the prohibitive favorite. Give a possible value play on Zion (crazy as it may sound) from DraftKings:
Click here to bet on Zion to win Rookie of the Year 2019/2020 (+1400 at DraftKings)
Dennis Schroeder seems to have the inside track on the 6th Man of the Year award with his slash of 19/3.7/4.1. But despite his lack of judgment while out for a “personal reason” Lou Williams has a legit shot with his own slash of 18.7/3.1/5.7 arguably being even better and he adds even more value on the defensive end. Add that with the fact Lou Williams is a 2 time reigning winner and the possibility is more than slight. Brought to you again by DraftKings:
Click here to bet on Louis Williams 6th Man of the Year 2019/2020 (+800 at DraftKings)
This should be enough to get you primed and ready for another beginning of a shortened season by a major sports league. Stay with us and we will continue to bring you some of the best NBA betting content on the web everyday leading up to and until the conclusion of the 2020 NBA season and we finally name a champion!
To mark the return of the NBA, DraftKings are also offering odds of +500 for a team of your choice to win between July 30 and August 1 with their ‘Choose Your Boost’ promotion. Get involved!
