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Underdogs To Bet On – 2016 NBA Championship Gambling Odds

Betting NBA Futures?

The 2015 NBA handicapping offseason has been just about as exciting as much of the play we saw during the actual 2014-15 campaign. Surprising signings and draft picks have vaulted some of the league’s mediocre franchises into official underdog status.

NBA Basketball Odds

NBA Standings
***2015 NBA BONUSES***
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So what defines an underdog? For starters, a team cannot fall within the top five when it comes to championship odds. In our book, those teams are considered favorites without question.

A sleeper must also be a team that didn’t have a legitimate chance at a title last season. Meaning teams such as the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks don’t qualify, even though they’re not top-five teams at this point in the process.

Check out the complete odds, via Bovada, below. But first, here are our favorites to bet entering next season.

Miami Heat (20/1)

The Miami Heat likely aren’t going to be considered an underdog in most people’s eyes. They’re not quite a favorite because we haven’t seen what they can do when healthy in a post-LeBron James era, but many will argue that they’re actually creeping toward favorite status with the moves they’ve made this summer.

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Re-signing Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade were both crucial moves for the backcourt, and both were resounding successes (eventually). The team also retained Luol Deng, drafted Justise Winslow and signed Amar’e Stoudemire on the cheap.

Assuming Chris Bosh is able to play healthy basketball next season, this group will be ready to take full advantage of an Eastern Conference that has been watered down for years — regardless of what contender status you tack onto the Heat entering the year.

Dallas Mavericks (50/1)

The Dallas Mavericks are the wild card of all wild cards. They could be rejuvenated to the point where they push for home-court advantage in a brutally tough Western Conference all season. Or they could be battered enough and inconsistent enough to fall apart before the mid-way point of the year.

Deron Williams has finally come home to Dallas, but can he rejuvenate what has become a disappointing twilight portion of his career? Wes Matthews is the new max-money man on the roster, but will he recover accordingly from an Achilles rupture that ended his season in 2014-15?

Does Dirk Nowitzki have enough left in the tank to be an All-Star, and can Chandler Parsons recover from the mysterious injury he refused to disclose this offseason?

These answers will determine this team’s fate, but there’s a ton of potential if the get the answers they’re hoping for.

Milwaukee Bucks (50/1)

If you don’t like what the Milwaukee Bucks are doing, you’re not a fan of franchises rebuilding the right way at lightning speeds.

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The Bucks have managed to find the rare combination of rebuilding organically and through free agency. They’ve brought in potential stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker, John Henson and Khris Middleton. But they’ve also acquired Michael Carter-Williams via trade, O.J. Mayo in free agency and now Greg Monroe in free agency as well.

The East is wide open, and this group made a surprising postseason appearance in 2014-15. Look for an even better situation for this franchise in 2015-16.

Toronto Raptors (50/1)

The Toronto Raptors are a tough team to put your finger on. But that’s what makes them so intriguing at this point in the process.

Despite all their talent, they’ve yet to put it all together. The past two seasons saw two disappointing first-round exits, but now they’ve added pieces such as DeMarre Carroll and backup point guard Cory Joseph to the mix.

The Raptors will be a gamble, but one possibly worth taking.

Utah Jazz (100/1)

If you’re looking for a true sleeper — a true underdog story — this is your team.

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Nobody is going to talk about the Utah Jazz as a contender to start the year. Absolutely nobody. But that doesn’t mean they’re not worthy. Utah became hands down the best defensive squad in the NBA by the end of last season, and that’s the kind of team trait that translates to big-time wins — even when nobody sees it coming.

2016 NBA Futures Odds

  • Cleveland Cavaliers (11/4)
  • San Antonio Spurs (3/1)
  • Golden State Warriors (5/1)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (17/2)
  • Los Angeles Clippers (12/1)
  • Houston Rockets (16/1)
  • Chicago Bulls (20/1)
  • Miami Heat (20/1)
  • Memphis Grizzlies (33/1)
  • Atlanta Hawks (40/1)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (40/1)
  • Dallas Mavericks (50/1)
  • Indiana Pacers (50/1)
  • Milwaukee Bucks (50/1)
  • Toronto Raptors (50/1)
  • Washington Wizards (50/1)
  • Los Angeles Lakers (66/1)
  • Boston Celtics (75/1)
  • Detroit Pistons (100/1)
  • Phoenix Suns (100/1)
  • Portland Trailblazers (100/1) 
  • Utah Jazz (100/1)
  • Brooklyn Nets (150/1) 
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (150/1) 
  • New York Knicks (150/1)
  • Sacramento Kings (150/1)
  • Denver Nuggets (200/1)
  • Charlotte Hornets (250/1) 
  • Orlando Magic (250/1)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (250/1)

We’ll be providing 4* free plays on the blog all season long, and check out our EXPERTS for guaranteed premium NBA plays!

Check out our Updated NBA Betting Odds.

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By PDX PIX

He's young! He's Brash, he's on a non-stop mission to destroy as many sportsbooks as he can, or at least is humanly possible. He hates losing! Perfect recipe for cashing winning tickets. He's been doing just that from the West Coast since College! Stick with PDX PIX for your NBA, NCAAB, NFL & NCAAF plays all year long!