Latest NBA Futures

NBA Futures Bets & Picks

NBA futures are getting more and more popular in NBA betting. Futures are wagers on events that will happen in the future, like the Most Valuable Player, the NBA Finals winner, the Western Conference Finals winner, the Eastern Conference Finals winner, if a team will make the NBA playoffs, the NBA Rookie of the Year, and so on. On this page, you will find the latest NBA Futures picks from our experts as and when they find selections that do represent good betting value.

Latest NBA Futures Picks

Why wager on NBA futures?

There are many reasons to wager on NBA futures. Let’s take a look at some of the key ones. 

NBA futures payouts

When betting against the spread, you usually are offered a 50% chance of going to cash, while with NBA futures, the risk is far greater, so they offer significantly more significant payouts, especially if you place your wagers far in advance. So even with a relatively small stake, the potential payout is rather high, which is why many are going for them.

NBA futures are for everyone

NBA futures markets are easy to understand for any sports bettor, from beginners to veterans. And if you know a lot about the sport, you can find a way to use the odds to your advantage and make a lot of money when the outcome is known. Sportsbooks are incredibly accurate when it comes to individual data because they use sophisticated algorithms and other data to make their decisions.

But when it comes to NBA futures markets, there are many more variables, and the likelihood of producing odds that do not accurately reflect the situation is greater. This is where opportunities lie for these sports bettors with significant knowledge about a team or player.

NBA futures are available all the time

NBA futures markets are always open, even when NBA games aren’t available. You can also wager on NBA futures during the offseason, anytime during the regular season, or throughout the NBA playoffs. Odds are continuously updated as the season progresses, so if you can pick a team or a player at the right time, you might get higher odds than at other times. 

How are NBA futures odds impacted?

As mentioned before, NBA futures odds can change for many different reasons. So, betting on NBA futures at the right time can make a huge difference in how much you could win. NBA futures odds are significantly affected by team successes during the season.

Assume the Los Angeles Lakers have won five consecutive games; their NBA Finals odds are likely to decrease as a result. In the same way, if they do lose six in a row, their odds will likely rise. Injuries to key players will also affect the odds, sometimes even more than a losing streak.

NBA Trade Deadline

Not only will NBA teams’ performances and the health of their key players influence NBA futures odds, but so will how other teams perform. Additionally, the NBA trade deadline is one of the most critical times of the year and can significantly change the likelihood of a team winning the title and, therefore, their odds. 

Wager on Future NBA Awards

In addition to the most common NBA futures markets, like the winner of the NBA Championship, the NBA MVP, and the NBA Rookie of the Year, there are other futures markets to consider in the states where these kinds of bets are available. 

• Defensive Player of the Year: Offense is paramount in the NBA these days, but this has made this award even more prestigious. In a league with many top scorers, the best defenders are even more critical.
• Sixth Man of the Year: With the NBA’s talent pool of players increasing, benches are becoming more and more critical in the game. The Sixth Man of the Year award is assigned to the best reserve, and there are outstanding opportunities to grab some great odds if you have a deeper knowledge of benches.
• Most Improved Player: This is a tough NBA futures market and one of the most difficult to predict. But if you have an eye for top prospects, there will be many wagering opportunities here.
• Coach of the Year: The focus is always on players when wins come, but what about coaches? Some are capable of bringing good teams to the next level, and in this futures NBA market, you will get a payout if you can pick the winner of the Coach of the Year award correctly.
• Scoring Champion: Scoring totals in the NBA are booming, with individual scoring on the rise. In this exciting NBA futures market, you need to predict which player will be the scoring champion. 
• Rebounding Champion: Traditional centers don’t have the same impact they once had on the game offensively, but they are still a crucial asset, racking up rebounds to gain or keep possession for their teams. Here, you get to predict who will be the NBA rebounding champion.
• Assists Champion: pace and possessions are increasing, which means there are plenty of opportunities for assists. In this NBA futures market, you get to predict who will have more assists.

When betting on NBA futures, visit multiple sportsbooks

Shopping around for the best odds for a single game can deliver value, especially for NBA futures. Sportsbooks can have significantly different prices in these markets regarding the NBA Finals and player award futures. So the more online sports betting sites you check, the more likely it is that you will get some great odds for the selections you are interested in. When you sign up at multiple sportsbooks, you will also get a variety of different welcome bonuses.

Hedging Your NBA Futures Wager

If you have predicted a big underdog to win the NBA and it is still alive in the playoffs, it is probably a good idea to hedge your NBA Future bet. You can place a bet on another team, increasing your payout chances. So, for instance, if you place a wager on the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference and they are underdogs to the Indiana Pacers, you can bet a small stake on the Pacers to win that series.

This will reduce your potential reward and significantly increase your payout chances. You can also do it the other way around: you can back the favorite Memphis Grizzlies to win the NBA title, and if they face the Pacers, you can place a small stake on the underdog to guarantee yourself a payout.

The NBA Futures are usually won by favorites

One thing we’ve noticed about NBA futures odds and the NBA Finals is that the NBA champion doesn’t tend to be a big underdog. Upsets are more common in single games, as the teams with the strongest squads tend to prevail over the long season. This is why oddsmakers are usually pretty close in their preseason predictions. Only nine times in the last 35 years has the eventual NBA champion been priced at more than +700 in the preseason.

The people who make the odds know that star teams in the NBA usually win in playoff series that go seven games. There have been some small exceptions to this rule, but generally, our advice is to make your choice between the top 4-5 favorites in the NBA futures market when it comes to predicting the NBA Finals winner.