Tag: basketball odds

Boston Celtics look set to challenge Cleveland in Eastern Conference

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

A week ago we recommended you back the Washington Wizards at 13/8 with Bet Victor to win the Southeast Division and the Boston Celtics at 6/5 with Coral to win the Atlantic Division. We hope you followed that advice because in the past week both teams have won all their games and surged clear at the top of those divisions. They are both now odds-on to win them: the Wizards have gone in from 13/8 to 10/11, with Sky Bet, William Hill and Betway offering the best odds; while the Celtics have gone from 6/5 to being heavy favourites, with Betway offering the best price at 3/4. In the past week the Celtics’ closest rivals, the Toronto Raptors, have lost twice, while the Hawks and the Hornets, who are vying with Washington in the Southeast Division, have also stumbled. The Celtics and Wizards have great momentum, and if you did not back them a week ago, 10/11 and 3/4 still makes a nice double. Or you could try a six-fold: Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards all to win their divisions.

Eastern Conference

In the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors are on fire and should make another Finals, despite the superb form of the San Antonio Spurs. But things are much more interesting in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers, last season’s NBA Championship winners led by LeBron James, have been heavy favourites to win it all season, but the Cavs have struggled to build momentum this season. They cannot seem to post a long run of consecutive wins and have lost five of their last 10. No such problems for the Celtics, who are on a seven-game winning streak, or the Wizards, who have also won seven in a row. Both could really give the Cavs a run for their money in the Eastern Conference. Of the two, the Celtics are the most likely. Boston guard Isaiah Thomas has scored 20 or more points in 34 consecutive games and that has been the driving force behind their superb run since Christmas. The Wizards, meanwhile, have won 16 consecutive home games and are 23-9 since December 1. It’s currently advantage Cleveland in the playoff race, as the defending champs are 34-15, but the Celtics are hot on the tail, with 33-18, while the Wizards are back on 30-20. Cleveland is in the driving seat, but either could steal the top seed from them. The best price you can get on Cleveland winning the conference is a lowly 4/11, but the 12/1 on offer at 888 Sport on the Celtics looks appealing, as does the longer shot of 33/1 available at Paddy Power on the Wizards.

Upcoming Games

The Celtics travel to Sacramento on Thursday to face the Kings, who are low on confidence after recently blowing double-digit leads to lose three times in a row and are 20-31. The Celtics are a juggernaut right now and should win that one comfortably. On the same day, the in-form Wizards travel to Brooklyn to play the Nets, who are pretty much the worst team in the league right now. The Nets have lost nine in a row and 12 in a row at home, so the Wizards should crush them. A double of the Celtics and Wizards to cover the spread looks good here. To broaden it out to a treble, the Spurs play the 76ers in Philadelphia and should be confident of a resounding win. After the Warriors, the Spurs have the best record in the league this season and the 76ers are on a three-game losing streak and looking short of ideas.

NBA Betting: Washington Wizards Offer Great Value in Southeast Division

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Golden State Warriors have maintained their dominance in the NBA over the past week and are now 9-1 in their last 10 games. But the real surprise is the form of the Washington Wizards, who have gone 8-2 in their last 10 to become the second hottest team in the league, ahead of the Spurs, Cavaliers and many more excellent teams. It has thrust a spotlight on the Southeast Division, where the Wizards are battling the Atlanta Falcons for supremacy, and right now there is plenty of value to be had in backing the Wizards to win it.

Southeast Division

There are three teams in the running to win this competitive division: the Hawks, the Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets. A couple of weeks ago we said the Hornets looked a poor option at 9/4. That has borne out, with Charlotte going out to 9/2 on the back of a very poor run of form that has left them 3-7 in their last 10. It now looks like a straight fight between the Hawks and the Wizards. If you agree, you are guaranteed a profit by backing both. Bet Victor has 11/8 on the Hawks and 13/8 on the Wizards, so if you back the pair of them with an equal stake, you are guaranteed a healthy margin regardless of which one wins. You just have to hope the Hornets do not enjoy a resurgence, and that is not looking likely right now. Charlotte started the season well and went 20-14 to be in contention, but are 3-9 in their last 12. That leaves them on 23-25 and they are 0-7 on the road in January, so this away form is likely to cost them. Meanwhile, the Hawks are 27-20 and the Wizards are 26-20. Washington is really on a roll right now, so if you only want to back one team, they are the best option as they offer greater value and are soaring.

Atlantic Division

The other division offering a bit of value is the Atlantic, where the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics have the identical record of 28-19. The Celtics are in marginally better form, 10-6 compared to the Raptors’ 5-5, but Toronto is odds-on favourites to win it. Sky Bet, William Hill, Paddy Power and Bet Victor all have 4/6 on the Raptors, while the Celtics are best priced at 6/5 with Coral. Both are interesting options, but the greater value is on the Celtics, and if they can get their defence playing as well as it was last season they can take this division, so they might make a nice double with the Wizards.

Upcoming Games

Wednesday sees the Wizards host a struggling New York Knicks team and they should keep the good form going there with a win. On the same day, a huge game sees the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the San Antonio Spurs. Both are 7/3 in their last 10 and the Spurs are second in the Western Conference behind only the all-conquering Warriors, while the Thunder are sixth but really knocking on the door of the top four places. It should prove an interesting game and the Spurs will have a tough job containing Oklahoma City’s MVP contender Russell Westbrook, but San Antonio has been in excellent form of late, beating the Cavaliers and the Raptors, and should win this one. On Thursday, the struggling Hornets travel to California to play the Warriors, and you can expect Golden State to crush them, covering a reasonable large spread in the process. On the same day, the in-form Utah Jazz should have too much for the Milwaukee Bucks, who are on a dreadful run, and should also cover a heavy spread there.

Harden looks a great bet for MVP after breaking records

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Houston Rockets guard James Harden pulled off a magnificent feat on the final day of 2016, earning an astonishing 53 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds in his team’s 129-122 victory of the New York Knicks. It was the first time any player has ever broken the 50-15-15 barrier and it effectively put him in a two-horsed MVP race with Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, and it is set to be a fascinating battle in 2017. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have consolidated their positions at the top of their respective divisions and are on course for another NBA Finals showdown, with Cleveland gaining a psychological edge by beating them on Christmas Day. It promises to be another exciting year in the NBA, with plenty of value for punters.

MVP

Westbrook looked to have this accolade sewn up going into the festive period. The Oklahoma City guard is crucial to his team and has been dubbed Mr Triple Double this year thanks to his phenomenal stats. For the uninitiated, a triple double requires a player to hit double figures on points, assists and rebounds in a game, and Westbrook is averaging 30.9 points per game – the best in the league – along with 10.7 assists and 10.5 rebounds. The closest contender looked set to be LeBron James, but the Cavaliers superstar’s stats aren’t as high this season and he has been rested a fair bit, as evidenced in Cleveland’s defeat to the Pistons on December 27.

Now though Harden has muscled in, with a record-breaking performance. He became only the fifth player of all time to record a triple-double while also scoring 40 points, the others being James, Westbrook, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, but his points and rebounds put his performance a notch above. He has now become second favourite to be crowned regular season MVP. Some bookmakers are offering just 2/1 or 9/4 on him, but Bet Victor has a generous 4/1, which looks a great bet. This looks like a two horsed race now, and with 888 Sport offering 2/1 on favourite Westbrook, you can back both and make a profit if they remain at the top – which they should.

NBA Championship

The Warriors still have the best record in the league, with a win record of 85.3% and look unstoppable in the Western Conference, which they are just 4/11 to win with Sky Bet (although some may fancy a speculative bet on Westbrook’s Thunder at 40/1 with William Hill). But the team to really watch looks to be the Cavaliers. Their win record is not so good, at just 78.1%, but they are still comfortably leading the conference and have made a habit of resting James and losing without him. But when he plays, they are ferocious, as they showed by beating the Warriors 109-108 on Christmas Day. The Cavs were down 14 points in the fourth quarter but rallied to make up the deficit and win it at the death, with James in the driving seat on 31 points. They bested the Warriors in last season’s Finals, and look like they could do so again in 2017, so the 3/1 various bookmakers are offering on them looks a good bet right now. But the Warriors will take some stopping and also look good at 4/5 with Sky Bet. Again you can hedge your bets on these two.

Upcoming games

The Warriors face an out of sorts Bulls team on Thursday and can be expected to cover a high spread, while the Cavs should beat the Trail Blazers pretty comfortably on the same day. A huge game takes place on Friday between the Rockets and the Thunder, where will we see Harden and Westbrook go head to head. The Rockets got the better of them when they last played, winning by three points on December 10, and can repeat the feat here as they are on a roll at the moment.

NBA Set for a Christmas Cracker

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Reigning champions the Cleveland Cavaliers have been in sensational form over the past week and blew away the Raptors, Heat, Knicks and Hornets in quick succession. The odds on them winning the Eastern Conference have shortened considerably, and they are now just 10/3 to win the NBA Championship. The Golden State Warriors have maintained their strong form, despite a blip against the Grizzlies, and the two still look on course for a showdown in the Championship series. There are plenty of exciting games to look forward to in the week ahead, but already thoughts are turning to Christmas Day, when the Cavs host the Warriors in what could prove to be the game of the season so far, and that could give a strong indication as to who will seize the Championship.

Eastern Conference

Odds on the Cavaliers winning the Eastern Conference have shortened from 13/20 to just 4/9 in a week, thanks to their excellent winning streak. Star man LeBron James continues to break records and in the past week became the first player to ever reach 7,000 career assists along with 27,000 points and 7,000 rebounds. He is an all-around superstar, and teams simply cannot handle him at the moment. As we suggested last week, the Cavaliers destroyed the Knicks and easily covered the spread. They are now just 1/18 to win the Central Division and look good for the Eastern Conference, so it might be worth getting on them sooner rather than later as the odds are only going one way at present.

Western Conference

We tipped the Warriors to easily cover the point spread against the Clippers and they did so, also beating the Pacers, Jazz and Timberwolves, but an 110-89 defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies was a serious blip. The Warriors were sleepwalking through that game and it raises question marks over their mentality going into a crucial part of the season. The odds on them winning the Western Conference have gone out to 2/5 with some bookmakers, as the Spurs are looking good, so now could be the time to back them.

NBA Championship

The Warriors have drifted out to 5/6 with Sky Bet and Bet Victor thanks to the recent form of the Cavs, so now might be a good time to back them if you still think they will do it. They still rank as the best team in the league this season and top the power rankings as the NBA’s top scoring and top shooting team. But the Cavs are building up a head of steam and the odds are likely to continue tumbling on them, so it could also be worth getting on them at 10/3 with Bet Victor now.

Upcoming games

A standout game sees the Warriors take on the Knicks on Friday. After the Cavs destroyed the Knicks, the Warriors will want to put in a similarly emphatic performance to show they are still the dominant force in the NBA, so backing them to cover the spread might be a good idea. Similarly, the Cavs play the Grizzlies and will be keen to beat them to land a psychological blow against the Warriors.

The Warriors blew everyone away to win the NBA Championship two years ago but lost out to Cleveland in the finals last season, and everything looks to be heading for a grudge match between these two in this season’s finals as they are the best teams in the NBA of late. They face off in Cleveland on Christmas Day and it promises to be a thriller. Bookmakers are already offering odds and it is tight, with Paddy Power offering 20/23 on the Cavs and 20/21 on the Warriors. With the way LeBron is playing at the moment, you wouldn’t want to bet against him turning it on in front of his beloved hometown fans, and that 20/23 on the Cavaliers looks tempting.

NBA Update: Golden State Warriors in Imperious Form

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

We are now a quarter of the way through the NBA regular season and the Golden State Warriors’ imperious form has left them heavy favourites in NBA betting markets to regain the Championship title they won in 2015. They have by far and away the best record in the league and are already odds-on to make up for the heartbreak of losing the NBA Finals to the Cavaliers back in June.

Western Conference

The Warriors, led by the most fearsome attacking triumvirate in basketball, have stormed to the top of their division and built up a considerable lead over the impressive LA Clippers, despite having played fewer games. Devin Durrant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are on fire this year, and that is more than making up for a defence that has tailed off slightly after losing Andrew Bogut. At Sun Bets, which offers some of the most competitive NBA prices, they are just 1/25 to win the Pacific Division, with the Clippers out at 8/1. The Warriors are also ahead in the race to win the Western Conference, but the San Antonio Spurs look like giving them a good run for their money. The Spurs are just 1/50 with Sun Bets to win their division and are 5/1 second-favourites for the Western Conference. But the Warriors look all conquering at present and look good for the 4/11 on them winning the Western Conference.

Eastern Conference

Things are a bit more open in the Eastern Conference after a losing streak for leaders the Cavaliers. Last season’s champions are 1/20 to win the Central Division and the bookmakers expect them to win the Eastern Conference, where they too are 4/11 with Sun Bets, thanks largely to the influence of LeBron James. But the Toronto Raptors have embarked on a sensational winning run and look a good outside bet at 10/1 to win it, while the odds of them winning their division – 13/20 with Sun Bets – look fantastic.

Outright

Right now the Warriors are looking untouchable thanks to their superb offence. You can never count the Cavaliers out thanks to James, but the 3/4 Sun Bets has on the Warriors looks the best option right now. If you are looking for more value, the Raptors are an interesting option at 28/1. Their offence is the second highest rated in the league, as is their field goal percentage, and they could well go all the way. The Utah Jazz has maintained a strong record despite injuries to key players Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward and George Hill, and could be a threat at 66/1 once they get their starters back.

Upcoming games

A mouth-watering clash between divisional rivals the Warriors and Clippers takes place on Thursday. The Warriors have won both times when these two have met this season and should make it three on the bounce, but it should prove a tight game after the last meeting was only decided by a four-point margin. Back the Warriors outright but be wary of the spread. On the same day, the Cavs and the New York Knicks face one another. The Knicks have been average this season but have enjoyed a recent upsurge in form, while the Cavs have struggled. But this could be the perfect game for the Cavs to get their season back on track after they destroyed the Knicks 117-88 in the season opener. They should beat them with ease and cover a high spread.