2016-2017 NBA Previews – Central Division Odds
Looking for 2016 NBA Central Division Predictions? We’ve got your back. The Central Division has the chance to be ultra-competitive this season despite having a clear-cut favorite. The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to defend their championship and this division is theirs to lose.
Central Division Season Preview
Division Favorite: Cleveland Cavaliers -1100
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Despite the Cavs’ heavy lead in terms of odds to win the division, teams across the board have a chance to compete. The Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks all have something going for them this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Central Division Prediction
Head Coach: Tyronn Lue
2015-16 Record: 57-25
Odds To Win Division: -1100
Odds To Win Conference: -215
Odds To Win NBA Championship: +300
When the Cavaliers completed their comeback against the Golden State Warriors and LeBron James subsequently collapsed to the ground with emotion, the superstar from Akron had officially completed the goal he’d set out to achieved when he returned to the Cavs.
He got one for The Land.
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Cleveland has the NBA’s most expensive roster and has no plans of letting up. There’s a tendency for teams to settle when they find greatness, but this group, led by James, isn’t going to do that.
Out East, it’s the Cavs and the rest. This division will be competitive throughout, but there’s a reason Cleveland comes into the year as such a heavy favorite to take the Central Division.
That reason is James, who has made it to an unreal six straight championships.
Indiana Pacers NBA Central Division Prediction
Head Coach: Nate McMillan
2015-16 Record: 45-37
Odds To Win Division: +1200
Odds To Win Conference: +2800
Odds To Win NBA Championship: +6600
The Pacers have a new lead man running the sidelines in Nate McMillan this season. They also have a new point guard in Jeff Teague.
Overall, Indian has a very compelling roster. Monta Ellis, while not known for his efficiency, can shoot a team out of a deficit.
Myles Turner is one of the NBA’s preeminent up-and-coming centers and newcomers Al Jefferson and Thaddeus Young give this group solid depth in the frontcourt.
Indiana also has some guy named Paul George, who made his comeback last season from a brutal broken leg.
George is a legitimate MVP candidate when healthy, and he enters the 2016-17 campaign with the eighth-best odds to win that award at +2200.
Chicago Bulls NBA Central Division Prediction
Head Coach: Fred Hoiberg
2015-16 Record: 42-40
Odds To Win Division: +1800
Odds To Win Conference: +2500
Odds To Win NBA Championship: +4000
We could sit here and harp on the Bulls for not making the playoffs last season, but this is such a different roster at this point in the process that it doesn’t make much sense to look back.
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Derrick Rose is gone. So is Pau Gasol.
Dwyane Wade is on board. So is Rajon Rondo.
If one thing is clear about this team, it’s that it simply doesn’t care about shooting.
We knew that a Wade-Rondo backcourt was going to be horrible from the three-point line, but then the organization traded Tony Snell for fellow poor shooter Michael Carter-Williams.
The truth is that this team does have a lot of star power behind leader Jimmy Butler, which explains why it’s second in the division in terms of odds to win a championship despite being third to win the actual Central title.
Chicago is a boom-or-bust pick at this point, which makes sense considering how difficult it is to trust entering the year.
Detroit Pistons NBA Central Division Prediction
Head Coach: Stan Van Gundy
2015-16 Record: 44-38
Odds To Win Division: +2500
Odds To Win Conference: +4000
Odds To Win NBA Championship: +10000
By all accounts, the Detroit Pistons had a successful 2015-16 campaign. Not only did they make their return to the postseason, but they acquired Tobias Harris, a young power forward with loads of potential, at the deadline and signed Andre Drummond to the massive contract extension we all knew was coming.
If this team can continue building around Drummond, and more specifically continue adding shooters to help spread the floor, this franchise will continue to flourish in ways we haven’t seen from it in recent memory.
Led by Stan Van Gundy, you know you’re going to get 100 percent effort night in and night out from this group.
There’s little reason to believe the Pistons won’t be back in the playoffs again this season.
Milwaukee Bucks NBA Central Division Prediction
Head Coach: Jason Kidd
2015-16 Record: 33-49
Odds To Win Division: +5000
Odds To Win Conference: +4000
Odds To Win NBA Championship: +10000
The Milwaukee Bucks disappointed last season. Bringing in Greg Monroe in free agency proved to be a bust and the team didn’t take the leap forward with its young core that many expected it would.
All that said, there’s still reason to be optimistic when it comes to these young Bucks.
For starters, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a lanky, near-7-foot stud who can go the distance of the court in two dribbles.
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His post-All-Star showing last season was phenomenal and he proved that he can be an efficient point guard when the time calls for it.
The team also just brought in 24-year-old shooter Tony Snell, has Jabari Parker, John Henson and Khris Middleton to groom and has the benefit of playing the league’s weaker conference.
Nobody expects this group to win a title this season, but exceeding expectations based on last year’s production isn’t out of the question.
NBA Central Division Prediction
In all odds, this division will belong to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers when the year is all said and done. But if you’re looking for drama, don’t shy away from the Indiana Pacers.
Not only are the Pacers young, hungry and led by a legitimate superstar in Paul George, but it’s a near-guarantee that James sits out games sporadically during the latter half of the season in preparation for the playoffs.
That alone is going to make this divisional race closer than most are anticipating at this juncture.
2016 NBA Gambling
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