Joe began writing for Basketball Insiders at the start of 2023. A keen sports fanatic ever since his first days playing football in junior school, he has developed a flair for writing over the coming years, and graduated with a BA in English Literature. His professional background in the gambling and sports industries now extends to five years, mostly covering horse racing and US sports. He has previously written for sites such as gg.co.uk and cheltenhamfestival.net on the horse racing side, having grown passionate about the sport by visiting his local tracks on a regular basis. As well as this, he has the honor of being published in the Royal Ascot magazine in 2019.
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Following his graduation with an Honors in Business Administration, Nick redirected his focus from conventional stocks and bonds to the world of sports team performance investments. He employs a unique blend of advanced statistics and historical data to construct intricate sports investment models, pinpointing value opportunities and consistently yielding profits. Nick's contributions extend beyond a single platform, as his work can be discovered on outlets such as Pistons Powered, Winners And Whiners, and numerous other publications.
All posts by Nick RaffoulIf you’re tired of having to stress about Giannis Antetokounmpo making a triple-double, or Orlando Magic coming up with +25 rebounds in a specific game, then NBA futures betting is the way to go.
NBA futures don’t pay out until the end of the season, leaving fans free to just enjoy basketball games. So, if this sounds like you, read on to discover the best sportsbooks for NBA futures. We’ll explain how the odds work; assess outright bets for the team, player, and NBA Draft, and unpack everything you need to know about the market.
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NBA Team Standings & Stats
What are NBA Futures?
Put simply, wagering on the NBA futures market is when a bettor aims to make money by predicting an outright result way in advance of its conclusion.
Because, say, betting on the championship winner during the offseason is such a hard prediction to get right, the odds on NBA futures tend to be very tempting.
To all intents and purposes, NBA futures are split into two separate categories: team & player.
NBA Futures Lines for Teams
There is a multitude of optionalities available when it comes to NBA futures bets. The first to appear on the majority of sportsbooks tend to be NBA team futures, which are as follows:
NBA Championship Futures
The outright NBA finals odds can be released within a month of the previous year’s championship games. This season’s NBA Finals take place from April 9, 2023, so expect to see updated NBA lines and odds as the games progress.
As with this season, this moneyline will remain open throughout the NBA campaign. But expect to see the odds shorten and drift throughout, as teams hit and lose form.
NBA Conference Championship Futures
Most sportsbooks release odds for the conference championships not long after they do the NBA finals since, by this point, oddsmakers already have a pretty firm idea of the best and worst teams. It’s not like a team can win the Finals without winning the conference finals after all.
On the off chance that you’ve made your way to this page as a complete newcomer to the NBA, the league is split into two separate conferences: the Eastern Conference & the Western Conference, with each crowning its own champion ahead of the East vs. West clash in the finals.
NBA Division Championship Futures
Each conference is split into three divisions. In the East, these are the Atlantic, Central, and Southeast divisions, while the Western Conference also has three divisions, namely the Northwest, Pacific, and Southwest.
There are five teams in each division and, at the best NBA betting sites, it’s possible to wager on the moneyline for your pick to win each division. You might even scope the NBA power rankings at the beginning of preseason and make a parlay bet on the Los Angeles Clippers to win a clean sweep of honors: Pacific Division champions; Western Conference champions, and NBA Finals champions, for example.
Betting On NBA Division Winners
Over 70 years ago in 1949, two rivaling basketball associations the BAA and NBL merged to form the NBA. At that time the league was made up of just 17 teams and three divisions: Eastern, Central, and Western division.
After a rough ten years for the NBA, during the 1960s the game grew in popularity and more teams began to enter the league. In 1970 the Western and Eastern Conferences were born. However, it wasn’t until 2004 when the now Charlotte Hornets joined the league that it was aligned into the six divisions we have now which are Atlantic, Central, Southeast, Northwest, Pacific, and Southwest.
In the next section, we will take a look at the recent history of each division, what NBA betting lines are available, and offer up our picks on who we think will end up on top, starting with…..
Atlantic Division
The five teams currently competing in the Atlantic division are Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76rs, and Toronto Raptors.
In the last decade, the Raptors have had the most division wins with six out of the last ten seasons, last winning the championship in 2018-19. However, historically the Boston Celtics have been the most dominant team and have seen a resurgence in the last two seasons, narrowly missing out on the Championship last year.
The Celtics are the favorites to win according to NBA betting sites and we can see why: they kept their best players offloaded some deadwood and picked up the solid Malcolm Brogdon. However, with tough competition in the forms of the 76ers and the Nets, it’s hard to call.
However, if you want our pick for the division, the Nets have three of the best players in the league in Simmonds, Durant, and Irving, plus, being that they are about +100 over the Celtics, the value line is on the Nets to pip it.
Team 
+105 +130 +134 +130 +134 +120 
+200 +200 +199 +225 +199 +225 
+300 +275 +300 +275 +300 +275 
+1400 +1500 +990 +1100 +990 +1100 
+6600 +6000 +6000 +6600 +6000 +6600 Central Division
The five teams that make up this division are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and the Milwaukee Bucks. In terms of NBA futures betting on Division winners, this is the safest division with a clear favorite.
The Bucks have dominated this division recently winning the last four division titles and the NBA finals in 2020-21. In the four years previous to the Bucks winning, it was Cleveland who dominated, winning four in a row, plus one Championship when LeBron was on their roster. The other teams in this division have historically been great but they have not been real contenders for some time.
For the 2022-23 season, the Bucks are by far the favorites according to NBA betting odds, which is little surprise given “The Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo has averaged close to 30 points and over 11 rebounds for the last two seasons when leading the lineup. Plus, with Middleton And Holiday also on their roster, we just don’t see any other team getting a sniff.
Team 
-325 -250 -284 -260 -284 -260 
+350 +275 +340 +300 +340 +300 
+550 +650 +660 +750 +660 +750 
+20000 +20000 +15000 +12500 +15000 +12500 
+25000 +30000 +22000 +20000 +22000 +20000 South East Division
The final division in the Eastern Conference consists of Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards.
The Miami Heat have won eleven out of the eighteen South East Division titles and were the winners last season. The Eastern Conference Final between the Heat and the Celtics last year was an intense back and forth, with Boston just taking it by four points in game seven.
Jimmy Butler has been one of the best wings in the NBA since joining the heat, and with a solid team around him, including the powerhouse “Bam Bam,” the Heat are a safe bet to clinch the South East Division. Their stiffest competition is Trae Young and the Hawks but overall your NBA futures betting money is safest on the Heat.
Team 
-165 -170 -186 -165 -184 -165 
+155 +170 +191 +165 +189 +165 
+1000 +1500 +1200 +1400 +1225 +1400 
+2500 +2500 +3000 +3300 +3000 +3300 
+25000 +20000 +15000 +7500 +15000 +7500 North West Division
The first Western Conference division we will look at in the North West division is made up of the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Utah Jazz. This is an interesting division for NBA online betting as there is a clear favorite but also another team with a decent chance of clinching division honors.
For the last two seasons, the Jazz have taken the title. But this summer saw some big changes to their roster. Two of their best players Gobert and Mitchell were traded and this has left the team nowhere near as strong as before. The Nuggets finished a close 2nd to Jazz in each of the last two seasons and won the previous two, and have arguably the best Center in the league in last season’s MVP, Jokic.
As well as Jokic, Denver has the agile Murray returning after a serious ACL injury. Plus they have two of the best raw talents in the NBA in Porter Jr. and Hyland. For this reason, we foresee that the Nuggets will win the division. However, If you want to take a slightly riskier bet with improved NBA betting odds, the Timberwolves’ addition of Gobert to their squad gives them a decent chance.
Team 
-140 -140 -140 -145 -140 -145 
+150 +140 +141 +140 +141 +140 
+1000 +1000 +810 +1400 +810 +1400 
+15000 +20000 +4000 +5000 +4000 +5000 
+20000 +25000 +13000 +20000 +13000 +20000 Pacific Division
The Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings are the five teams to make up the Pacific Division. This is by far the most competitive division with four out of the five teams in with a decent chance and three who have almost identical NBA betting odds.
GSW are the current NBA champions and have won five of the last ten division titles. However, it was the Phoenix Suns that won the division title last year with an impressive 64-18 record. As well as these two powerhouses, you have the Clippers with the returning Kawhi Leonard who missed all of 2022 due to injury. Plus with their pedigree, you cannot write off the Lakers.
This is a really tight race between GSW, Clippers, and Suns, with NBA sports betting sites also undecided about who is the favorite to win the division. Any one of them is a good choice to back but we favor the Clippers slightly, due to their squad depth and the return of Kawhi “The Claw” Leonard.
Team 
+185 +180 +206 +200 +206 +200 
+190 +200 +200 +200 +200 +200 
+185 +225 +191 +215 +191 +215 
+850 +800 +890 +750 +890 +750 
+25000 +25000 +20000 +15000 +20000 +15000 South West Division
Last up we have the South West Division with Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, and San Antonio Spurs.
The Grizzlies took the honors of division winners last year, and after having the phenomenal Ja Morant sign a 5-year extension and making some solid trades during the offseason, will go into this new campaign full of confidence. The Dallas Mavericks of course have their own star in Luka Doncic but did lose Jalen Brunson. And, while the Pelicans only have one division title to their name, they will be spurred on by the return of Zion Williamson.
This is another tough division to call with most NBA betting lines having Memphis as the slight favorites ahead of the Mavericks, then New Orleans in third with the Rockets and Spurs huge outsiders. We have to agree with the sportsbooks on this one and think the electric Morant with Jackson Jr., Bane, and co, have the edge over the other teams.
Team 
+110 +105 +124 +120 +124 +120 
+125 +140 +132 +145 +132 +145 
+350 +400 +370 +325 +370 +325 
+25000 +50000 +20000 +40000 +20000 +40000 
+50000 +50000 +22000 +50000 +22000 +50000 NBA Futures Lines for Players
As well as betting on team futures, many of the best NBA sportsbooks also allow users to wager on NBA players’ futures. Some sites offer more optionality than others where this is concerned. But the two markets most sportsbooks feature are for the NBA MVP futures and the Rookie of the Year.
BetUS is one site that does offer a bit more optionality on players’ futures. The site currently has NBA betting lines open for special futures bets, such as ‘how many triple-doubles will Russell Westbrook score next season,’ which is broadcast as an over/under on the total points NBA betting line.
Sites such as BetUS and the Bovada sportsbook do tend to offer incredibly deep prop betting markets for NBA player futures, too. It’s possible to wager on the player who scores the most points, the player who makes the most assists, the most rebounds… and a fair few more options where that came from, including:
- Coach of the Year
- Most Improved Player
- Scoring Champion
- Sixth Man of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year… and many more.
Related content: NBA Players Statistics
NBA MVP Futures
There are two separate wagers for NBA MVP. Firstly, you can bet on the regular season MVP which is an award given to the consensus agreed-best player during the regular season. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was the winner of the award in 2021/22 and was the first player in franchise history to achieve the feat. Bettors could have picked Jokic up at about +800 during the preseason.
Then, there’s the NBA Finals MVP, which is an award presented to the player who balls out the most during the NBA Finals. 2020’s showpiece event treated fans to a six-game series between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns which the Bucks won 4-2 to claim the championship.
As a result of being on the winning team; for being far and away the best player during the series, and maybe a little for that highlight-reel alley-oop dunk in Game 5, the 2020/21 award was given to The Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Odds on Giannis winning the award at the start of last year were out as far as +1000 at most betting sites.
NBA Players Leaderboard
How to Bet on NBA Futures
As mentioned, NBA Vegas odds on championship futures bets for all 30 teams in the league tend to be broadcast across sportsbooks promptly after the conclusion of the previous finals. Once these betting lines are open, pro-bettors swoop in to look for the best NBA futures odds. In this section we explain how to bet on NBA futures.
Moneyline betting on NBA futures
The vast majority of futures odds for both team and player will be on the moneyline, which is the simplest line to explain:
The above example shows that sportsbooks made Chris Paul and the Suns the clear favorites to win their first-ever NBA Finals championship in 2021, attributing the team odds of -175 on the moneyline. Odds of -175 simply means that, in order to win $100, the bettor must stake $175.
If the oddsmakers felt less confident about the Suns’ chances, they would have given them odds with a + value. For example, +175. NBA odds for futures listed at +175 (or any other combination of + plus digits) means the team is less fancied, so the odds are better: here, you wager $100 to win £175.
With the exception of the special bets available as over/under (total points) on sites like BetUS, each of the other NBA futures lines mentioned thus far (Finals winner, Conference champion, most rebounds, etc) operates on the moneyline.
NBA Draft Futures
It’s also entirely possible to wager NBA futures bets on the NBA Draft. Select sportsbooks such as BetOnline had odds up for the event, which was held on June 23, 2022.
As you can see from the table above, as with the majority of other NBA futures bets, wagering on the draft is (usually) just a simple moneyline bet – at least it is ahead of time (it’s also possible to wager live, in play on the big day itself).
The main options available to the bettor are as follows:
NBA Draft Futures: Betting on the No.1 Overall Pick
Practically every major NBA sportsbook provides futures odds on the moneyline for the No.1 pick at an NBA Draft event.
The odds are displayed in the same way as they are for futures on the championship winner or MVP. I.e., by using the moneyline American odds (+/- and a number: +150 for Evan Mobley, for example)
The favorite player to be plucked from the board at No.1 is Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham. BetOnline has given the young star shortened odds of -2,500, meaning that to win $100, you’d need to stake $2,500.
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NBA Futures Betting Strategy
Below, we’ve taken the liberty of listing out a couple of NBA betting strategies you may wish to employ when wagering on NBA futures. There are many others available to you, and we implore you to frequent NBA betting forums and to read up and watch as many vlogs as you can handle before placing any bet (plus, if you love the game of basketball, it’s fun anyway).
Open up Accounts on Multiple Sportsbooks
The more NBA sportsbooks you open up accounts with, the better chance you have of finding the best/earliest odds for NBA futures.
Sites such as Bovada, BetMGM, and William Hill run NBA Vegas odds and tend to be first to market with futures, giving you a chance to get in early and, sometimes, find yourself a deal.
Each of the sportsbooks mentioned today offers massive deals, bonuses, and risk-free bets. It just makes sense to take the free money where it’s available – why risk your own capital when you don’t have to? There are career bettors out there who literally do this for a living, so it’s definitely worth your consideration.
Hedge your NBA futures Bets
If you found yourself the perfect NBA futures bet at the start of the campaign and then watched on gleefully as your team, let’s say the Clippers, eked its way into the NBA playoff bracket – good for you; you’ve probably got great odds.
However, you may notice that Lebron James is in top form for the Lakers, or that the team you bet on may be suffering an injury crisis and you might even begin to doubt its championship credentials.
If so, it’s time to hedge your bets on the NBA betting lines – bet on your team’s playoff opponent to go in to win if you’re 3-0 down or bet on the form team from the other conference that keeps putting up +120 points per game. Don’t be scared to crunch the numbers and hedge your bets.
NBA Teams
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
NBA Futures Betting: FAQs
What are NBA futures?
Who won the 2021 NBA Finals?
Can I bet on the NBA futures odds?
Who is favored to win the 2023 NBA Finals?
Can you cash out on an NBA futures bet?
