NBA FUTURES: YET ANOTHER SEISMIC SHIFT IN ODDS
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There may not be a more recent example of a continuous shift in future odds than what we are currently seeing in the NBA. Jalen Rose of ESPN made a great point. This year there will not be the Celtics, Lakers, Heat, Mavericks, Pistons or Spurs being crowned NBA champion. Title-bound potential teams have not experienced a championship.
We’re seeing great finishes left and right with buzzer beaters and true competitive playoff basketball.
With uncertainty lurking oddsmakers have been quick to supplant yesterday’s value with drastic changes in the future market. Days ago the Bulls had crept as high as the +400 range to win the NBA title. Now they’re back down in the 8-1 range and 3-1 range to win the Eastern Conference.
The large rise in title odds for the Bulls is because of the unexpected play of the Clippers. Sure they had won a tough series in seven games to the Spurs, but with Chris Paul injured, the Clippers were underdogs to the Rockets. Now up three games to one, they’ve changed the view of just about everyone. So much that they’re currently second behind the Warriors at +348 to win the NBA title.
All of this sudden market change can skew the true value of a team. Lets not forget there were two teams that finished with 60 wins in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors. Rare accomplishments. Golden State is in a must-win situation tonight on the road similar to the Bulls. They are also in plus payout territory to win the NBA title for the first time in the playoffs.
Injuries can not be overlooked in a series either. Scheduling allots for typically two days to rest before the next game occurs. If Cleveland should advance past the Bulls the toll of the series could be more damaging than any typical round two series in recent memory. LeBron is coming off a 10 for 30 performance and has had to resort to his one-man show tendencies of five years ago. His team is banged up and he needs more assistance if they’re even going to get past Chicago.
With the Clippers there hasn’t been any assurance with Chris Paul’s hamstring just yet. He is skating by without having to truly sacrifice on the court for this team, thanks to his teams blowout performances. A team like Golden State will force Paul to run for the entirety of a game while the Grizzlies would be beneficial to Paul.
It’s a day to day future buyers market. Keep a close eye on it daily and see if you can step in and make a sound choice for a value buy.
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