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Sports Betting Futures Odds: Cleveland Still Favored in East Following Blockbuster Deal


by - 8/23/2017

Kyrie Irving Cleveland Cavaliers

Former Cavaliers' guard Kyrie Irving is heading to Boston of all places. Thus adds another layer to what was already the best and certainly most important rivalry in the Eastern Conference. But before basketball begins, there are plenty of other newsworthy items on the sports menu. Football season is right around the corner, and on the golf course the FedEx Cup Playoffs are ready to begin.

All odds provided by BetOnline Sportsbook .

NFL MVP

Tom Brady (+400) - Brady was suspended for the first four games of last season, so that hurt his 2016 MVP chances. But he came on like gangbusters and finished with 28 touchdowns compared to only two interceptions. As his recent Super Bowl-winning campaign indicates, a third career MVP is not out of the question at 40 years old.


Aaron Rodgers (+600) - Also a two-time MVP, Rodgers is coming off a third consecutive season in which he played all 16 games and threw at least 31 touchdowns and no more than eight interceptions (40 and seven, to be exact, in 2016). Ty Montgomery will have to get the running back position going to take some pressure off Rodgers.

Russell Wilson (+1000) - NFL MVP is just about the only accomplishment that Wilson still lacks. He made a run for it in 2015, but he and the rest of Seattle's offense took a step back last year with no Marshawn Lynch in the backfield. Wilson's 2016 rushing numbers were by far the worst of his career, so he must improve in that department.

Ben Roethlisberger (+1100) - Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowls and has been named to five Pro Bowls, but an MVP honor still eludes him. Is it too late at 35 years old? Maybe not. Big Ben has thrown for 20-plus touchdowns in each of the past six seasons. Cowboys' quarterback Dak Prescott is also a +1100 fourth choice.

NBA Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers (-140) - The Cavs satisfied Irving's request for a trade on Tuesday, unloading him to the Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Sizic, and the Nets' 2018 first-round draft pick. In the immediate future, Cleveland should not take a step back with Thomas and Crowder supporting LeBron James.

Boston Celtics (+175) - "It is a high price tag," admitted Celtics' president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, adding that it takes a lot to acquire "one of the best offensive players in the league." Boston, which lost to Cleveland in last season's Eastern Conference Finals, now has Irving, Al Horford, and Gordon Hayward.

Washington Wizards (+1400) - Once again, there are the Cavs, the Celtics, and then everyone else. Washington could be the best of the rest. However, does it have enough to take down either new-look Cleveland or new-look Boston-or both-in the playoffs? John Wall and Bradley Beal will have to take their games to even greater heights.

Milwaukee Bucks (+1400) -Giannis Antetokounmpo, 22, averaged 22.9 points per game in 2016-17-up from a previous career-high of 16.9. This young squad is quite simply on the rise. The Bucks compiled a mediocre 42-40 record last season, but that was a considerable improvement from their 33-49 campaign in 2015-16.

U.S. Open

Roger Federer (+150) - The tennis season's fourth and final Grand Slam begins next Monday in New York. All kinds of top players are either missing the tournament due to injury or are going in with question marks. Even Federer is dealing with an apparent back issue. But the 36-year-old has been the cream of the crop in 2017 when healthy.

Rafael Nadal (+250) - Federer is bidding for his sixth U.S. Open title and 20th major overall. Nadal is eyeing his third triumph in NYC and 16th major overall. The Spaniard regained the world No. 1 ranking this week and will therefore be the top seed. But, as usual, he has underwhelmed on other surfaces since winning the French Open on clay.

Andy Murray (+650) - Murray has not played since suffering an injury-plagued loss to Sam Querrey in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. The second-ranked Scot is in New York, suggesting that he will be able to suit up for the U.S. Open. Regardless, though, Murray will be rusty as he goes for his second U.S. Open title and first since 2012.

Alexander Zverev (+750) - Outside of Federer and Nadal, no one has been better than Zverev this season. Up to No. 6 in the world at just 20 years old, the German captured recent Masters 1000 titles in Rome and Montreal. Nick Kyrgios is a +1400 fifth choice. Grigor Dimitrov, Marin Cilic, and Milos Raonic are +1600.

Northern Trust Open

Hideki Matsuyama (+1000) - The FedEx Cup Playoffs begin this week with the Northern Trust Open. Matsuyama tops the standings going in, and why not? He owns three PGA Tour victories this season-including earlier in August at the Bridgestone-and recently finished runner-up at the U.S. Open and fifth at the PGA Championship.

Jordan Spieth (+1100) - The British Open champion goes in at No. 3 in the standings, trailing only Matsuyama and PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas. He has won three times on the PGA Tour in 2017 (tied for second most). Spieth missed the cut at this playoff opener (formerly The Barclays) in 2015, but he placed T10 last year.

Dustin Johnson (+1200) - Johnson is tied with Matsuyama and Spieth at three victories this season, behind only Thomas (four). The 33-year-old American was the undisputed best player in the game until a freak back injury forced him out of the Masters. Johnson was T9 at this tournament in 2015 and T18 last year.

Rickie Fowler (+1200) -Fowler has seen a couple of his best friends rack up major titles (multiple for Spieth and now one for Thomas). With Sergio Garcia having triumphed at the Masters, Fowler is probably the best player without one. But a smaller title could be in the cards this week, because he was T7 at this event last summer.

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