Betting Tips
Early Outright NBA Betting: Assessing The Favourites For The NBA Title This Season
by Chike Nwoye
17 Oct 2024
The new NBA season is just around the corner, and the excitement is through the roof. With so much talent spread across the league, we’re in for some fierce competition for the championship.
That said, I’ve got to mention that with top prospect Cooper Flagg set to declare for next year’s draft, we’ll likely see lots of teams tanking as they try to land that #1 pick. Of course, injuries and trades will play a big role in shaping how things unfold, but here’s an overview of what to expect this season.
Championship Winner
● Heavy Favourite:
It’s easy to peg the Boston Celtics as the heavy favourites for the title, especially since they just won it a few months ago, but this team is built differently.
Right after the last bit of confetti dropped at the parade, their first move was to re-sign all their key players—and not only did they do that, they brought back everyone; role players, coaching staff…everyone.
That kind of roster retention is almost unheard of in American sports. These guys have won, they’ve been paid, and now they’re even hungrier for more.
No team has gone back-to-back since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s the Celtics.
The new NBA season is just around the corner, and the excitement is through the roof. With so much talent spread across the league, we’re in for some fierce competition for the championship.
That said, I’ve got to mention that with top prospect Cooper Flagg set to declare for next year’s draft, we’ll likely see lots of teams tanking as they try to land that #1 pick. Of course, injuries and trades will play a big role in shaping how things unfold, but here’s an overview of what to expect this season.
Championship Winner
● Heavy Favourite:
It’s easy to peg the Boston Celtics as the heavy favourites for the title, especially since they just won it a few months ago, but this team is built differently.
Right after the last bit of confetti dropped at the parade, their first move was to re-sign all their key players—and not only did they do that, they brought back everyone; role players, coaching staff…everyone.
That kind of roster retention is almost unheard of in American sports. These guys have won, they’ve been paid, and now they’re even hungrier for more.
No team has gone back-to-back since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s the Celtics.
● Bet on the Boston Celtics to Win Back To Back Titles
@4.00
Other Contenders:
In the West, the Thunder—last season’s #1 seed, the Nuggets—2023 champions, the Mavericks—last season’s beaten finalists, and the Timberwolves—who made it to the Western Conference finals, all come into this season with high expectations.
These teams have been battle-tested in the playoffs and have the star power to get the job done.
Over in the East, the Knicks are going all out in their bid to end a 42-year title drought. They made major moves, bringing in Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges.
Let’s just hope Tom Thibodeau doesn’t wear them out. 2021 Champions, Bucks are also in the mix, though health issues have plagued their last two playoff runs.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard can stay healthy, you’d be crazy to count them out. The big question is—can they stay fit?
Other Contenders:
In the West, the Thunder—last season’s #1 seed, the Nuggets—2023 champions, the Mavericks—last season’s beaten finalists, and the Timberwolves—who made it to the Western Conference finals, all come into this season with high expectations.
These teams have been battle-tested in the playoffs and have the star power to get the job done.
Over in the East, the Knicks are going all out in their bid to end a 42-year title drought. They made major moves, bringing in Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges.
Let’s just hope Tom Thibodeau doesn’t wear them out. 2021 Champions, Bucks are also in the mix, though health issues have plagued their last two playoff runs.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard can stay healthy, you’d be crazy to count them out. The big question is—can they stay fit?
● Bet on OKC to Win Their First Title
@8.00
● Bet on Nuggets to Win the Title
@10.00
● Bet on the Timberwolves to Win Their First Title
@11.00
● Bet on the Knick to End Their 42-Year Title Drought
@9.000
Dark Horse:
LeBron James might be one of the greatest players in the history of basketball, but for the first time in ages, it feels safe to say he won’t be in the title hunt this year.
The Lakers' roster just doesn’t have the quality, and while new head coach JJ Redick is a basketball savant, he’s also inexperienced. LeBron’s biggest achievement this season will be sharing the court with his son, Bronny, as they become the first father-son duo in NBA history.
As for dark horses, keep an eye on the Memphis Grizzlies. Now fully healthy, with Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, and Jaren Jackson Jr. all fit, they’re ready to make some noise.
The Suns may lack depth, but if Bradley Beal stays healthy, their trio of Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker can be a nightmare for any team on the right night.
The Pacers' defense is a concern, but their offense is elite and sometimes, that can be enough. Last season, they made it to the final of the first-ever In-Season Tournament and reached the Eastern Conference finals.
Meanwhile, the Heat’s roster doesn’t jump off the page, but with Jimmy Butler and one of the best coaches in Erik Spoelstra, you can never count them out.
Dark Horse:
LeBron James might be one of the greatest players in the history of basketball, but for the first time in ages, it feels safe to say he won’t be in the title hunt this year.
The Lakers' roster just doesn’t have the quality, and while new head coach JJ Redick is a basketball savant, he’s also inexperienced. LeBron’s biggest achievement this season will be sharing the court with his son, Bronny, as they become the first father-son duo in NBA history.
As for dark horses, keep an eye on the Memphis Grizzlies. Now fully healthy, with Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, and Jaren Jackson Jr. all fit, they’re ready to make some noise.
The Suns may lack depth, but if Bradley Beal stays healthy, their trio of Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker can be a nightmare for any team on the right night.
The Pacers' defense is a concern, but their offense is elite and sometimes, that can be enough. Last season, they made it to the final of the first-ever In-Season Tournament and reached the Eastern Conference finals.
Meanwhile, the Heat’s roster doesn’t jump off the page, but with Jimmy Butler and one of the best coaches in Erik Spoelstra, you can never count them out.
● Bet on Suns to Win Their First Title
@30.00
● Bet on Grizzlies to Win Their First Title
@40.00
Western Conference Winner
The West is just too stacked and balanced for there to be a clear favourite. Last season, 10 Western teams racked up 46 or more wins—the first time that’s happened in 20 years. And as we all saw, it was the 5th-seeded Mavericks who ended up winning the conference.
This season, those same 10 teams are back in the mix, plus the Grizzlies are healthy again, the Rockets have a young and exciting core coached by Ime Udoka, and the Spurs have Victor Wembanyama, fresh off leading France to a Silver Medal at the Olympics.
Now, while I expect 12 teams to battle it out hard, I think the West will ultimately come down to 6 teams: Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Suns, and Grizzlies—with the Kings, Pelicans, and Lakers also making the playoffs/play-in.
Having said all that, my betting tip is for the Thunder to win the conference. They’ve built a perfectly balanced roster with top-tier talent, depth, scoring, defense, and athleticism. The one potential drawback is their youth.
Although they’ve steadily improved over the last three seasons, jumping from 24 wins in 2022 to 40 in 2023, and 57 in 2024, they’ve got 11 players under the age of 26.
Eastern Conference Winner
The Knicks haven’t claimed the #1 seed in the East since the 1992/93 season and haven’t made it to the finals since 1999, but they’re definitely knocking on the door this year.
After finishing as the #2 seed last season and reaching the conference semifinals, they’ve made some exciting moves, adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to the roster.
The Sixers also made some solid additions, but with Joel Embiid’s injury history and Paul George’s preseason injury possibly sidelining him for a while, I’m steering clear of them.
The Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, have the experience, but staying healthy has been their biggest issue the last couple of years. The Cavs and Magic will also be tough outs in the playoffs, while the Heat and Pacers are dark horses with a puncher’s chance.
Western Conference Winner
The West is just too stacked and balanced for there to be a clear favourite. Last season, 10 Western teams racked up 46 or more wins—the first time that’s happened in 20 years. And as we all saw, it was the 5th-seeded Mavericks who ended up winning the conference.
This season, those same 10 teams are back in the mix, plus the Grizzlies are healthy again, the Rockets have a young and exciting core coached by Ime Udoka, and the Spurs have Victor Wembanyama, fresh off leading France to a Silver Medal at the Olympics.
Now, while I expect 12 teams to battle it out hard, I think the West will ultimately come down to 6 teams: Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Suns, and Grizzlies—with the Kings, Pelicans, and Lakers also making the playoffs/play-in.
Having said all that, my betting tip is for the Thunder to win the conference. They’ve built a perfectly balanced roster with top-tier talent, depth, scoring, defense, and athleticism. The one potential drawback is their youth.
Although they’ve steadily improved over the last three seasons, jumping from 24 wins in 2022 to 40 in 2023, and 57 in 2024, they’ve got 11 players under the age of 26.
Eastern Conference Winner
The Knicks haven’t claimed the #1 seed in the East since the 1992/93 season and haven’t made it to the finals since 1999, but they’re definitely knocking on the door this year.
After finishing as the #2 seed last season and reaching the conference semifinals, they’ve made some exciting moves, adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to the roster.
The Sixers also made some solid additions, but with Joel Embiid’s injury history and Paul George’s preseason injury possibly sidelining him for a while, I’m steering clear of them.
The Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, have the experience, but staying healthy has been their biggest issue the last couple of years. The Cavs and Magic will also be tough outs in the playoffs, while the Heat and Pacers are dark horses with a puncher’s chance.
● Bet on the Knicks to Win the Eastern Conference
@4.25
That said, unless Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown suffer serious injuries, the Celtics are taking the East. They’re the best team in the world—young, deep, and brilliantly coached.
Sure, it’s just preseason, but they’ve already had 30-point leads in three games and crushed the Sixers by 50. They’re picking up right where they left off last season, when they won three games by 50 points and held 20-point leads in 41 of their 82 regular-season games and 13 of their 19 playoff games.
This team is just too stacked to be stopped, especially with Tatum and Brown coming into the season with a chip on their shoulders.
That said, unless Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown suffer serious injuries, the Celtics are taking the East. They’re the best team in the world—young, deep, and brilliantly coached.
Sure, it’s just preseason, but they’ve already had 30-point leads in three games and crushed the Sixers by 50. They’re picking up right where they left off last season, when they won three games by 50 points and held 20-point leads in 41 of their 82 regular-season games and 13 of their 19 playoff games.
This team is just too stacked to be stopped, especially with Tatum and Brown coming into the season with a chip on their shoulders.
● Bet on the Celtics to Win the Eastern Conference
@2.60
Most Regular Season Wins
The Boston Celtics will have the most regular season wins. Dear members of our online betting community, don’t overthink/over analyse it.
Most Regular Season Wins
The Boston Celtics will have the most regular season wins. Dear members of our online betting community, don’t overthink/over analyse it.
● Bet on the Celtics to Have the Most Regular Season Wins
@2.85
Regular Season MVP
Make no mistake, Nikola Jokić is the best player on the planet right now. He’s won the MVP award in 3 of the last 4 seasons and is 16 months removed from leading his team to their first-ever championship.
That said, I think voter fatigue might kick in this season, with the decision-makers likely wanting to crown someone new as MVP. I’m betting that Jokic won’t take home the award this time.
There are four players I’ve got my eye on: Luka Doncic, who finished 3rd in last year’s voting; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who came in 2nd and helped the Thunder secure the top seed in the West; Jayson Tatum, who finally led the Celtics to their first title since 2008, giving them their 18th championship; and Anthony Edwards, who got the Timberwolves to the Conference Finals.
While all these players have strong chances to grab the MVP award, my bet of the day is for Luka Doncic to win it. He’s an elite three-level scorer who led the league in scoring last season and finished 3rd in assists.
After taking the Mavericks to the finals, where they came up short against the Celtics, Luka’s probably feeling like this is his year to finally win MVP.
Plus, he’s finished in the top 5 in voting in 3 of the last 5 seasons, so he's definitely due for that recognition. At 4.5, we have the best odds for this.
Regular Season MVP
Make no mistake, Nikola Jokić is the best player on the planet right now. He’s won the MVP award in 3 of the last 4 seasons and is 16 months removed from leading his team to their first-ever championship.
That said, I think voter fatigue might kick in this season, with the decision-makers likely wanting to crown someone new as MVP. I’m betting that Jokic won’t take home the award this time.
There are four players I’ve got my eye on: Luka Doncic, who finished 3rd in last year’s voting; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who came in 2nd and helped the Thunder secure the top seed in the West; Jayson Tatum, who finally led the Celtics to their first title since 2008, giving them their 18th championship; and Anthony Edwards, who got the Timberwolves to the Conference Finals.
While all these players have strong chances to grab the MVP award, my bet of the day is for Luka Doncic to win it. He’s an elite three-level scorer who led the league in scoring last season and finished 3rd in assists.
After taking the Mavericks to the finals, where they came up short against the Celtics, Luka’s probably feeling like this is his year to finally win MVP.
Plus, he’s finished in the top 5 in voting in 3 of the last 5 seasons, so he's definitely due for that recognition. At 4.5, we have the best odds for this.
● Bet on Luka Doncic to Win the MVP Award
@4.50
● Bet on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Win the MVP Award
@5.00
● Bet on Anthony Edwards to Win the MVP Award
@12.00
● Bet on Jayson Tatum to Win the MVP Award
@16.00
Defensive Player of the Year
I will not dwell on this—Victor Wembanyama is taking home the DPOY this season. He should’ve won it last year over his fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert, but I guess people weren’t ready for a rookie to win it.
More often than not, Wemby was the most dominant player on the basketball court last season as he led the league in blocks with 254, including a career-high 10 blocks in a February game against the Raptors, where he became the first rookie since 1990 to post a triple-double with blocks.
Defensive Player of the Year
I will not dwell on this—Victor Wembanyama is taking home the DPOY this season. He should’ve won it last year over his fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert, but I guess people weren’t ready for a rookie to win it.
More often than not, Wemby was the most dominant player on the basketball court last season as he led the league in blocks with 254, including a career-high 10 blocks in a February game against the Raptors, where he became the first rookie since 1990 to post a triple-double with blocks.
● Bet on Victor Wembanyama to Win DPOY
@1.56
Most Improved Player
This award was easy to call last season, with Tyrese Maxey winning it. Once James Harden left the 76ers for the Clippers, it was clear Maxey would step up as the number 2 option, and he absolutely delivered. Now, Victor Wembanyama is the heavy favourite for the award this season, but honestly, I don’t get it.
He already showed he’s elite by winning ROTY and finishing runner-up for DPOY while averaging a double-double.
Anything he does this season will just be him fulfilling his potential by building on that. But, there’s money on the line so I won’t dismiss the idea.
The addition of veteran Point Guard Chris Paul to the Spurs instantly makes Wemby one of the most dangerous lob threats in the league, forming a deadly pick-and-roll duo. I’m certain his scoring will improve this season.
That said, my bet prediction is for this award to go to Paolo Banchero and we have great odds for that. After taking home the ROTY in 2023, he became an All-Star in 2024 and led the Magic to the playoffs, where he averaged 27/8.4/4 in seven games.
He’s not exactly a household name yet, but I’m convinced this is the year he’ll make a lasting impression on casual fans.
Most Improved Player
This award was easy to call last season, with Tyrese Maxey winning it. Once James Harden left the 76ers for the Clippers, it was clear Maxey would step up as the number 2 option, and he absolutely delivered. Now, Victor Wembanyama is the heavy favourite for the award this season, but honestly, I don’t get it.
He already showed he’s elite by winning ROTY and finishing runner-up for DPOY while averaging a double-double.
Anything he does this season will just be him fulfilling his potential by building on that. But, there’s money on the line so I won’t dismiss the idea.
The addition of veteran Point Guard Chris Paul to the Spurs instantly makes Wemby one of the most dangerous lob threats in the league, forming a deadly pick-and-roll duo. I’m certain his scoring will improve this season.
That said, my bet prediction is for this award to go to Paolo Banchero and we have great odds for that. After taking home the ROTY in 2023, he became an All-Star in 2024 and led the Magic to the playoffs, where he averaged 27/8.4/4 in seven games.
He’s not exactly a household name yet, but I’m convinced this is the year he’ll make a lasting impression on casual fans.
● Bet on Victor Wembanyama to Win Most Improved
@8.50
● Bet on Paolo Banchero to Win Most Improved
@35.0
Rookie of the Year
The Memphis Grizzlies front office must’ve been over the moon when Zach Edey was still available at #9 in the draft.
The Canadian big man is the perfect addition to a Grizzlies squad that’s struggled at center since Steven Adams went down with injuries. Last season was rough for Memphis with key players dropping like flies.
Now, with a fully healthy roster, expectations are sky high, and Edey will be a key part of that. In a preseason game against the Pacers, he came off the bench and dropped 23 points with 9 rebounds in just 18 minutes, giving everyone a preview of what’s to come.
Rookie of the Year
The Memphis Grizzlies front office must’ve been over the moon when Zach Edey was still available at #9 in the draft.
The Canadian big man is the perfect addition to a Grizzlies squad that’s struggled at center since Steven Adams went down with injuries. Last season was rough for Memphis with key players dropping like flies.
Now, with a fully healthy roster, expectations are sky high, and Edey will be a key part of that. In a preseason game against the Pacers, he came off the bench and dropped 23 points with 9 rebounds in just 18 minutes, giving everyone a preview of what’s to come.
● Bet on Zach Edey to Win ROTY
@5.00
Sign up on BetKing, and start betting on Basketball games including the NBA and EuroLeague and many more.
Sign up on BetKing, and start betting on Basketball games including the NBA and EuroLeague and many more.