2019 Central Division Season Basketball Preview
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2019 Central Division Season Preview
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It was the year of Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks until Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Four straight losses had the Bucks going from thinking NBA Finals to going home just like that.
Central Division 2019 Odds: Milwaukee 1/20
Milwaukee’s sudden collapse in late May hasn’t deterred oddsmakers from making it not only the overwhelming favorite to repeat in the Central, but topple the East and play in its first NBA Finals in 45 years.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was already an NBA champion with Milwaukee in that 1974 season, his fifth as a pro. The Bucks fell to Dave Cowens, Johnny Havlicek, and the Celtics in a bid for a second title though.
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Of course, the Raptors blocked Milwaukee a season ago and they no longer look like a true title threat without Kawhi Leonard. That leaves the door open for the Bucks, who have the most dominant player in the conference.
It’s just too risky to lay -2000 on a long futures bet because if Giannis were to go down, the Bucks may no longer even be the favorites. It’s kind of insane to think about the Freak’s value in the better markets in that way.
Central Division 2019 Odds: Indiana 7/1
Then again, take Giannis off the Bucks and they would still have a puncher’s chance to win a division that appears fairly tame here in the preseason.
Victor Oladipo wrecked his leg at the midpoint of last season and there still isn’t a timetable for his return. It does not appear likely he’ll be available when the season begins.
Bojan Bogdanovic signed with Utah in free agency but the Pacers did well to reload. They stole Malcolm Brogdon away from Milwaukee and fleeced Phoenix in a trade for TJ Warren. They also brought in Jeremy Lamb.
That will be more than enough on the perimeter, assuming Oladipo eventually returns and returns at a high level. Domantas Sabonis was one of the most improved players in the league a season ago and Myles Turner took a series of steps forward, along with some backward.
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If it’s not Milwaukee, Indiana is the clear next-up favorite, as the odds clearly suggest.
Central Division 2019 Odds: Detroit 80/1
That’s because next up is Detroit at 80/1. The Pistons snuck into the playoffs but didn’t put up much of a fight against the Bucks in the first round.
Blake Griffin did earn plaudits for the way he played out the season after the trade from the Clippers. He appears happy and healthy in Detroit.
I just don’t know about these guys though. The Pistons couldn’t shoot last season and they didn’t make any major upgrades to change that this year. They brought in Derrick Rose and Joe Johnson in free agency and drafted an 18-year-old from Guinea and Khyri Thomas from Creighton.
Detroit finished .500 last year and I would be surprised if it ended this season far from the same mark.
Central Division 2019 Odds: Chicago 100/1
The Bulls are the long-shot I’m backing. Two years ago, they were considered an upstart team but injuries and a whole host of unfortunate circumstances killed their season early on a year ago.
This is Kris Dunn’s make-or-break season. Most people assume he’ll bust again and they may be right. Dunn isn’t necessarily what has me thinking the Bulls could enjoy a bounce-back this season.
Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. are healthy to begin their third and second NBA seasons, respectively. They, along with Otto Porter Jr., who looked good after coming over in a trade from Washington, Denzel Valentine, and Thad Young, who the Bulls signed, make up a deep and skilled front line.
Ryan Arcidiacano and Tomas Satoransky are ready to play hard, smart basketball in the backcourt at a moment’s notice, if Dunn is going to bum around. Plus, Chicago drafted Coby White, who will get a bucket from day one.
This is the team I’m keeping an eye on in the Central.
2019 Central Division Betting Futures Odds:
- Milwaukee 1/20
- Indiana 7/1
- Detroit 80/1
- Chicago 100/1
- Cleveland 500/1
Central Division 2019 Prediction: Chicago 100/1
If you have access to a book that offers a true 500/1 on Cleveland, it’s worth a little splash because of how open this division could be if something were to happen to Giannis. I have no reason to believe something will but he’s just one player who is ever a moment away from disaster.
Chicago is the team I’m on in earnest though. Of course, we’d need more than a few breaks but the talent is there for this team to take a leap and win 45 games and take the division in a real down year.
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