NBA Handicapping Articles

2016 Orlando Magic Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/30/2016

The head coach's office in Orlando surely has a revolving door. If it doesn't then it really should. Up until Feb. 5 of last year Jacque Vaughn was in charge, as he had been for three very unspectacular seasons. When he left, assistant James Borrego was made the interim coach, and eventually given the rest of the year.

2016 Philadelphia 76ers Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/30/2016

Last year this team was tanking. They proved to be very good at it. Few squads have ever been better, really, but then few have ever had so many years to practice. Now they aren't likely to be good, but they are going to be playing at their full capacity, and they are finally clearly building towards something.

2016 Brooklyn Nets Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/30/2016

I checked with my editor, and it turns out I can't get away with an eight-word preview. If I could then it would be easy - The Nets have no talent and no hope. Unfortunately, I need about 100 times more length than that. Here, I go, then, finding ways to stretch out what is inevitable and obvious and hopefully make it somewhat interesting. Rarely has anyone been given a tougher task.

2016 Washington Wizards Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/29/2016

Two years ago the Wizards won 46 games and looked like a team on the rise. They were a No. 5 seed in the playoffs that year, and it was popular to pick them to finish higher than that last year. Things didn't turn out that way at all. They finished .500 - five fewer wins than the year before. More significantly, they just weren't good. Defense was a foreign concept - only the Nets and Sixers allowed more points per game in the East, and those teams were really bad. They were just a mess.

2016 Chicago Bulls Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/29/2016

It wasn't much of a year for the Chicago Bulls last year. They didn't play great, their new coach didn't exactly shine, and they didn't seem to care about their fate. It would have been sad if you were a fan, and it was just annoying if you only care about good basketball. We're not the only ones that noticed, either, because the team dramatically overhauled the roster this offseason. It's a totally different squad that hits the court this fall. But is it any better? And is this version going to play with any more passion than the listless bunch from last year?

2016 Detroit Pistons Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/28/2016

The Detroit Pistons went 44-38 last season. That's hardly anything to get excited about - just three wins better than .500. Unless, of course, you consider that it was the first time the team had managed a winning record since 2008. This team, which was once so dominant and relevant, has contributed nothing to the fabric of basketball for most of a decade.

2016 Charlotte Hornets Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/26/2016

Michael Jordan. Best player ever. Basketball, not baseball. There is no debating that. As an owner, though? I'll generously give him an "incomplete". This is the guy who drafted Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison, and who hasn't done nearly enough to make us forget that just yet. He's also the guy who led his team to a 7-59 record in 2012.

2016 Miami Heat Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/22/2016

It's going to be strange watching the Miami Heat this year. For the first time since 2003, Dwyane Wade isn't at the core of this team. He shocked many by not blinking when the Heat tried to get him to take a cheaper deal than he felt he was deserved. Instead, he headed home to Chicago to presumably finish out his career. The team needs to find a new heart. That's not the only change by any means, which we will address further later on.

2016 Atlanta Hawks Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/22/2016

Times have officially changed in Atlanta. They made a good run the last few years but were never quite good enough. Now Al Horford has bolted in free agency and Jeff Teague has been shipped out of town, so the core of that contender is gone and we are dealing with a whole new team here. It would be tough to argue that this is a better team than they had in their recent glory days. The question, though, is whether this is a good enough team to make the playoffs and potentially do a little damage when they get there.

2016 Boston Celtics Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/22/2016

The Celtics have a plan, they are faithfully working that plan, and they are inching closer to elite status. They haven't panicked and made bad moves. They hired a great coach, let him do his thing, built a mostly young team around him, and had the patience to let him develop that team. Now they are no worse than the third best team in the Eastern Conference - though no better than the second best.

2016 Indiana Pacers Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/22/2016

The Pacers are kind of the forgotten playoff team. I bet if you asked 10 very casual basketball fans when the last time the Pacers made the playoffs was they would be more likely to guess it was in the Reggie Miller era than just last year. The Pacers have made the playoffs five of the last six years, but outside of Paul George they don't get much attention outside of Indiana. They are the vanilla ice cream of the NBA - not flashy, but still good enough at being dessert. So, can this team make it five of six years in the postseason?

2016 Cleveland Cavaliers Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/21/2016

There are few things tougher in sports than defending a title. That is especially the case here when Cleveland's margin of victory was slim and the team that they beat got dramatically better -- at least on paper. The Cavaliers dealt with the Kevin Durant move largely by standing pat. What they had was good enough last year. However, will it be good enough this time around?

2016 Toronto Raptors Predictions and NBA Futures Betting Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 9/21/2016

Last season was really a strong illustration of the issues with the Raptors. They ran away with their division, and were a strong second in the Eastern Conference. They advanced to the Eastern Final for the first time as a franchise. But then they were hopelessly outmatched by the Cavaliers. The series went six games, but it never felt at all close.

Kevin Durant and Golden State Warriors NBA Betting Props and Picks
by Dave Schwab - 7/8/2016

The shockwaves continue to reverberate across the entire NBA following Kevin Durant's recent decision to sign with Golden State as a free agent out of Oklahoma City. Not only have the Warriors become prohibitive favorites to win next season's NBA Championship, but Bovada has already posted betting odds for Golden State's chances to win a title in each of the next two seasons at +220 for "yes" and -340 for "no".

Kevin Durant to Golden State Warriors Makes Them Even Bigger Title Favorite
by Trevor Whenham - 7/4/2016

Well, I didn't really believe it would happen. Kevin Durant left a whole lot of money on the table - as much as $60 million - to leave Oklahoma City and help create a ridiculous collection of talent in Golden State. As time passed and he had yet to reach a decision, it seemed more and more likely that he could actually be serious about making a basketball decision and not a financial one, but until he actually did it I remained doubtful.

Which Team will Kevin Durant Play on Next Season? Odds and Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 6/29/2016

Kevin Durant's free agency is a very good example of how much better sports used to be when they weren't all about business. If things were only about basketball then Durant would choose where he had the best chance to win, and he would proceed to turn the NBA upside down for the next four or five years.

NBA Free Agency Top Storylines for 2016
by Trevor Whenham - 6/29/2016

This is an odd year for free agency in the NBA. For starters, it's not exactly a deep class. Kevin Durant is the player that dominates all discussion - even if he is most likely not to go anywhere. Beyond him, though, there aren't a lot of guys who are going to get your pulse racing if they land on your team. There are some nice and useful players, but we have certainly seen more intriguing groups of available guys.

NBA Offseason Player Props Betting Odds and Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 6/29/2016

Two of the biggest questions in the NBA this offseason are bound to be which player chosen in last week's draft will go on to win Rookie of the Year honors and which team Kevin Durant will be playing for on opening day of the 2016-17 NBA regular season.

2016 NBA Draft Betting Odds for Value Props Involving Top Picks
by Dave Schwab - 6/22/2016

No offense to the fans in Cleveland, but it's time to move on for the other 29 teams in their chase to win a world title starting with this Thursday night's NBA Draft. The Philadelphia 76ers are first on the clock and expected to take LSU standout Ben Simmons with that top pick. Most NBA draft gurus also have Duke forward Brandon Ingram going second to the Los Angeles Lakers, but after that all bets are off.

2017 NBA Championship Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 6/21/2016

As I write this the brilliant and often-confusing NBA Finals are less than a full day in the rearview mirror. We need to take some time to breathe and figure what we saw - and what it all means. There is not time for that right now, though. Bovada has already posted futures odds for the 2017 NBA Finals, so we need to take a very, very early look at them to see what is interesting and where the value might be. Without further ado: