NBA Handicapping Articles

2015 NBA Draft Odds & Expert Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 6/24/2015

Of the four drafts in the major American sports leagues, the NBA's is my favorite. Major League Baseball's and the NHL's are full of guys I've generally never heard of and may never again. Those are total crapshoots. The NFL's is a ratings bonanza for the NFL, but I get rather tired of Mel Kiper and Co. by Day 3 and you never see major player trades during that draft.

2016 NBA Championship Futures Odds with Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 6/18/2015

Steph Curry has his title. The Warriors deserved it - they were the best team from the first game of the regular season to the last game of the playoffs. That's all in the past now, though,. What we can start to focus on now is who is going to win the next title. Thankfully, oddsmakers were very quick to post odds, so we can look at where the value might be at this ridiculously early point. Here's a look at the odds that Bovada has posted:

NBA Finals Betting: Series MVP Odds and Expert Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 6/16/2015

The NBA Finals MVP award doesn't usually get the attention that it is getting this year. Then again, it isn't usually as intriguing a battle as it is this year. We have the reigning MVP up against the four-time MVP in a battle for the ages, and we can even throw a wild card player in there for good measure. It doesn't get much better than this. So, should LeBron be named MVP regardless of how the series ends?

2015 NBA Finals Picks: Cleveland vs. Golden State Good Bet, Bad Bet
by George Monroy - 6/3/2015

The NBA Finals are set to begin this Thursday after what felt like an endless delay, particularly in this 24/7 social media cycle that sports fans live in. The only upside behind the week off has been the fact that the players will now be rested and ready to go for Game 1. If the series had started earlier, Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving might not have played. For bettors, the NBA Finals is a chance to focus on a single game and squeeze the most profit out of the various lines and prop bets the sportsbooks have to offer.

NBA Finals Betting Advice: Why to bet the Warriors
by Trevor Whenham - 6/3/2015

We are closing in on what promises to be a very good NBA Finals. Depending on your viewpoint, you will either love LeBron and be backing him and his Cavs or you will be desperate to see him lose. You'll either be on the fast-paced Warriors' bandwagon or waiting for the clock to strike midnight. With two teams this high-profile, and two very different MVPs at the helm of them, it's easy to take one side or the other.

NBA Finals Betting Advice: Why to bet the Cavaliers
by Trevor Whenham - 6/2/2015

It seems like forever since we have last seen basketball - the NBA obviously thinks about a month between series is the way to maintain momentum. Luckily, this showdown between the Cavaliers and the Warriors has more than enough to keep us intrigued and excited. With megastars on both teams, you can easily make a compelling case to bet on whoever you want to. For the purposes of this article, though, here are four good reasons to bet on the Cleveland Cavaliers to win it all:

NBA Finals Betting: Series MVP Odds and Expert Predictions
by Alan Harris - 6/2/2015

With the NBA Finals getting underway on Thursday night in Oakland, let's take a look at the odds to win the Bill Russell Award (Series MVP) from our friends over at Bovada. In this article I will go over some favorites as well as long shots and try to provide readers with the best value bets to make for what should be a great series starting on Thursday night.

NBA Finals Props Odds with Expert Betting Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 6/1/2015

The matchup for this season's NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers, out of the East, and the West's Golden State Warriors has been set. Bettors may have to wait until Thursday for the actual games to get underway, but in the meantime BetOnline has you covered with a full set of NBA team and player props surrounding this highly-anticipated showdown.

NBA Finals Handicapping: Strong Betting Value on Golden State Warriors
by George Monroy - 6/1/2015

The Golden State Warriors are on the verge of completing one of the greatest seasons in NBA history, and if everything goes to plan they will have produced the fourth-best regular and postseason record of all time. The squad's dominance came out of left field as most experts predicted Golden State to be a 50-something win team that would probably be eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. Heading into the season the team was 25/1 to win the NBA title, and now it is a solid favorite to get past the Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals.

NBA Draft Betting: Props Odds and Predictions for No. 1 Pick
by George Monroy - 5/28/2015

The big news coming out of the 2015 NBA Draft Lottery was the Los Angeles Lakers moving into the No. 2 spot and the New York Knicks' continued misfortunes as they fell into the No. 4 pick-which might as well be on a different planet when it comes to sure-thing prospects. Kentucky and Duke's Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor are the marquee names heading into the draft as most experts expect both to be impact NBA players at the very least. The draft may still be over a month away, but with the NBA Finals not being played for another week, let's take a closer look at a few draft prop bets provided by Top Bet.

Betting Odds and Free Picks for NBA Player Props for Monday
by Dave Schwab - 5/25/2015

The NBA conference finals are down to two crucial Game 4 showdowns with Golden State on the verge of closing out Houston on Monday night with a 3-0 series lead in the West and Cleveland holding the commanding 3-0 series lead against Atlanta in the East heading into Tuesday night's game.

Weekly Q&A with Doc's Sports Expert Handicapper Raphael Esparza
by Doc's Sports - 5/19/2015

Doc's Sports: The Golden State Warriors are listed as prohibitive favorites in their series odds price against the Houston Rockets in the NBA's Western Conference Finals. Is there any way that the Rockets have another miracle run left in them after their big comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers?

NBA Handicapping: Warriors Regular-Season Sweep Irrelevant
by Trevor Whenham - 5/19/2015

One of the factors that is getting a lot of play in the lead-in to the NBA's Western Conference Final between Golden State and Houston is that the Warriors swept the four-game series between the two squads in the regular season. Given that the Warriors are a very popular team with the betting public, and currently a strong 4/7 favorite to win the NBA Championship at Bovada, a lot of people are using this record as an indicator of the inevitability of a Golden State win.

NBA Odds: Previewing the Draft Lottery
by Alan Matthews - 5/18/2015

The 14 teams that didn't make the 2015 NBA playoffs have already been focused on next season since the end of the regular season last month. The plans of those clubs will really come into focus on Tuesday night as the NBA will hold its annual draft lottery before Game 1 of the Rockets-Warriors Western Conference Finals.

NBA Conference Finals Series Odds and Expert Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 5/18/2015

The 2015 NBA Playoffs have basically gone chalk with the top two seeds in both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference slated to face one another in a best-of-seven clash to determine which two teams will advance to this season's NBA Finals.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Friday, May 15 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 5/14/2015

I am neither a Washington Wizards nor Atlanta Hawks fan. Don't hate them, they just don't much register with me. Blah. But I feel compelled to root for Washington on Friday night. Nope, I don't think I will bet on this one, but I certainly want a Game 7 in any series if possible. But more, I have friends in Washington who are huge fans of all the D.C. sports teams, and you rarely see a double gut-punch like what happened on Wednesday when the Wizards and Capitals games both ended with Washington losses at the buzzer off putbacks of offensive rebounds -- with the Capitals being eliminated in Game 7 by the Rangers and blowing yet another 3-1 series lead.

Tracking the Wizards: NBA Picks and Handicapping for Washington Basketball
by Dave Schwab - 5/14/2015

In an effort to take advantage of specialization as a viable NBA betting strategy, I have exclusively been handicapping the Washington Wizards all season long, and right through the playoffs. I have also been releasing free picks for their games with the use of Doc's Sports Unit Betting System in an effort to return a profit through my efforts. While my regular season results have been mixed, I have taken it on the chin with a 1-3 record in four previous postseason picks.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Thursday, May 14 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 5/13/2015

Rather interesting that the New Orleans Pelicans decided to fire Coach Monty Williams now instead of right after being swept out of the first round by Golden State. Also interesting that the team apparently didn't consult superstar Anthony Davis before making the move, and Davis apparently was a big fan of Williams'. That's going to be a coveted job simply because of Davis, whom if you go by player efficiency rating was the best player in the league this year and should only get better.

NBA Expert Handicapping: What Lies Ahead for Golden State and Atlanta
by Robert Ferringo - 5/13/2015

Two days ago the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors were on the road, on the ropes, and on the outs with the NBA betting public. But both teams tallied dominating victories in their respective playoff series and have vaulted themselves back into the pole position in the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Wednesday, May 13 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 5/12/2015

So what would be the equivalent NBA suspension that the NFL handed out to Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady on Monday for his role in "deflategate"? I guess it would be about 20 regular-season games (25 percent of the season) for Cleveland's LeBron James if we agree that Brady is the biggest star in the NFL (could make a case for Peyton Manning). Although no one wants to play with a partially deflated basketball!