April is just around this corner and this means that the end of the 2019/2020 NBA season is drawing near. There is much excitement in the air as there are just a few months until we know who this season’s NBA champions are.
Players, fans, and bookies alike are waiting in eager anticipation for the action to end and to see who’s making a profit and who walks away with nothing. Bookies had the NBA odds out before the season commenced and now they are getting closer to cashing in and giving out. NBA betting odds fluctuated throughout the competition and it’s been interesting to watch them change as the season has gone on.
If you have money riding on the NBA outcome through online sports betting already or if you still need to place a wager with an online sportsbook then it’s important to keep your eyes on the NBA scores every week.
This is a guide to help you if you are learning how to bet on sports like basketball and to give you a look at the current table for players and NBA teams to help you understand sports betting odds and lines and where you should put your money towards the end of the 2019/2020 season.
Current Standings
As of the 12th of December, the current standings in the NBA Conference are as follows:
Eastern Conference
- Bucks with a PCT of .880
- Heat with a PCT of .750
- Celtics with a PCT of .739
- 76ers with a PCT of .720
- Raptors with a PCT of 667
Western Conference
- Lakers with a PCT of .880
- Clippers with a PCT of .731
- Mavericks with a PCT of .696
- Rockets with a PCT of .667
- Nuggets with a PCT of .636
The top 10 in the league standings are currently:
- Lakers
- Bucks
- Heat
- Celtic
- Clippers
- 76ers
- Mavericks
- Rockets
- Raptors
- Pacers
The Current NBA Odds for 2020 Championship
As it stands, it looks like the Lakers are set to take the Championship title, but as in any sport, it’s too early to tell and the Clippers and the Bucks are certainly keeping them on their toes.
As of December, these are the NBA betting odds for the 2019/2020 Championship title:
| Los Angeles Lakers | +300 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +300 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +450 |
| Houston Rockets | +900 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1000 |
| Denver Nuggets | +1600 |
| Boston Celtics | +1600 |
| Toronto Raptors | +1600 |
| Utah Jazz | +2500 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +2500 |
| Miami Heat | +3300 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +3300 |
| Indiana Pacers | +3300 |
Look at the Past to Predict the Future
Whenever you do a bit of sports betting it’s always a good idea to check out what happened in the season before and past seasons before that. Yes, there may be a surprise every now and then, but in general, the same teams are strong every year and talented individuals tend to go on season after season streaks in which they have the best chance of winning their statistical categories:
Here are just some of the trends to take into consideration when wagering on NBA odds:
- A team from the Eastern Conference has won the Championship just 4 times in the last 11 seasons
- Five out of 11 NBA Championships have been won by a team from the Pacific Division
- LeBron James has missed just one out of the last eight NBA finals
- With 76% of the teams who win the first games of the best-of-series winning the series overall, the odds are that this trend will continue
- 100% of the teams that win their first three games of a best-of-seven series wins the league
- The Kings have gone 67 years without winning the Championship Trophy
The Pundits Know What’s What
Pundits are called pundits for good reason, and that’s because they do have a good grip on what the outcome of the future season might be.
Similarly, odds released by the best online sportsbooks and sports betting websites are also fairly accurate. For example, even though the Raptors won the Championship last season, they were still listed at +1600 odds, whereas the Clippers and Lakers are at +300. Bookies tend to have good feeling for what’s going to happen and they have to - they wouldn’t be very good at their jobs otherwise.
It’s important to consider the predictions from the experts, however, it’s also important to remember that they aren’t infallible either. Do some research, check out what the professionals are predicting, watch lots of games and then combine this knowledge with your own analysis and intuition to make a realistic bet on the winning team.
Are Pre-Season Games and Indication of What’s to Come?
We know that we are towards the end of the 2019/2020 season. However, we aren’t against sports betting tips for the future. The question here is whether you should let pre-season games influence where you put your money.
Pre-season games are mainly for players to build up fitness, for fans to get back into the swing of things and for coaches to see how their team is gelling, as well as checking out how the competition is playing.
As for bookmakers and punters, it’s a little bit off all of the above. They are able to get a small glimpse into what to expect from the NBA season ahead and make early NBA odds adjustments according to what they have gathered.
However, before you go an throw all your money at a team that had a cracking pre-season, do keep in mind that many teams don’t go all out and play at their optimum levels. This is merely a warm-up for them, so don’t take these games incredibly seriously.
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