The Milwaukee Bucks picked what they believe to be a transcendent player from one of the most talked-about drafts in the last decade. Jabari Parker, the Duke University standout, was believed to be the most NBA-ready talent coming out of the college, and he landed in a situation where he could make an immediate impact. Milwaukee may not be mistaken for a title contender any time soon, yet the team has the potential to be one of those NBA League Pass treasures that bettors and basketball junkies love to watch on a nightly basis.

Parker has been paired with a young-and-talented roster that could become the foundation of an excellent playoff team in a few seasons—which would be a huge turnaround from last year’s NBA-worst 15-67 record. Milwaukee also found itself in the middle of a huge coaching controversy during the offseason, and it ended up with a young and ambitious head coach that could be a mentor to its roster of young players. Let’s take a closer look at Milwaukee’s 2014 futures odds with predictions and analysis.

2014 Milwaukee Bucks Betting Story Lines

Milwaukee made a high-profile coaching change over the summer without really trying. The team ended up snagging Jason Kidd away from the Brooklyn Nets after the rookie coach had a falling out with management and was let out of his contract. The legendary point guard accepted a lucrative offer from the Bucks that nearly doubled his annual salary and put him in control of a young group brimming with potential.

Milwaukee was also granted a bit of good fortune when it was able to draft Parker with the No. 2 pick in a deep NBA Draft after losing out on the No.1 pick when it had produced the league’s worst record. In other years, missing out on Andrew Wiggins would have been devastating and the Bucks would have stuck with a lesser player. In 2014’s draft, however, many experts believed Parker to be the best choice on the board.

2014 Milwaukee Bucks Additions and Departures

Key Additions: Jabari Parker, Jason Kidd, Jared Dudley, Jerryd Bayless

Key Departures: Larry Drew, Ramon Session

Milwaukee added quality pieces to its roster over the summer, starting with Parker but also including Kidd as its new coach and Jared Dudley and Jerryd Bayless in backup roles. Dudley is a quality big man that stretches the floor and can play multiple positions, which bodes well for a team still searching for its identity. Bayless is an athletic guard that should be able to provide quality minutes off the bench and be a burst of scoring energy.

2014 Milwaukee Bucks Futures Odds

NBA Title Odds: +40000

Eastern Conference Odds: +15000

Division Odds: +25000

Win Total: O/U 24.5

Rookie of the Year Odds: Jabari Parker +260 (First)

Milwaukee’s title, conference and division odds are unrealistic dreams at this point in the team’s rebuild. Cinderella stories simply do not happen in the NBA. The Bucks are exactly what they look like on paper—a young team with some talent and potential that needs time to grow. For those fans looking to place a wager on the team, there are a couple of solid spots. The first being Milwaukee’s win totals odds. The squad won 17 games last season and has nowhere to go but up.

Even a disappointing 25-57 season would still be enough to cash on the wager, which is probably where the Bucks will end up at the end of the season—somewhere shy of the 30-win mark. Parker’s Rookie of the Year odds are also a solid wager to make, simply because he will be one of the few high-profile rookies that will be expected to contribute immediately.

2014 Milwaukee Bucks Predictions and Futures Odds Picks

Do not expect Milwaukee to win many games this season—the team is too young and inexperienced to be a factor on a nightly basis. The Bucks, however, do have the potential to be an ATS surprise over the course of the year, particularly with a very competitive coach who just came from a contender and will not accept losing or lack of effort for very long. Milwaukee may be a team to keep an eye on throughout the season even though its playoff potential is nonexistent.

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Read more articles by George Monroy