2023-24 NBA futures bets: Top 5 picks and predictions
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Will the Denver Nuggets go back-to-back? Will Giannis and Dame win the East in their first season together? These are just a few storylines to watch heading into the 2023-24 NBA season.
With opening night a matter of days away, it’s time we put together our favorite NBA futures bets and picks, including the champion, win totals and more.
Here are our favorite NBA futures bets for the 2023-24 season.
NBA 2023-24 futures betting picks
NBA win total picks: Philadelphia 76ers 50+ wins (+110 or better)
The 76ers were the third seed in the East last year but have dropped to fourth in betting odds for their conference.
Lots of noise has been made about James Harden’s refusal to be with the team and feud with Daryl Morey, but the new CBA will force him to be with them sooner than later -- and he still averaged a 20-point double-double on 38.% three-point shooting last year.
Nick Nurse is a former NBA Coach of the Year winner and champion, and will establish a strong defensive identity with his new team. Tyrese Maxey is going to have a larger role on the offense, and we expect him to thrive.
And of course, they have reigning MVP Joel Embiid, who is favored to win the scoring title.
2023-24 NBA champion: Milwaukee Bucks to win NBA Finals (+380 or better)
The Bucks have been out of sight and out of mind since they fell to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, but they’re only a couple of years removed from winning the Finals.
They also made the move of the offseason by acquiring Damian Lillard for Jrue Holiday and a couple other assets.
Lillard is arguably the most feared late-game shooter in the league and will provide tremendous spacing for Giannis, freeing up the lane for him to dominate.
They also still have Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, who both fill important roles offensively and defensively.
NBA In-Season Tournament winner: Sacramento Kings (+1700 or better)
How will teams approach the inaugural In-Season Tournament? Nobody knows! But the way we see it, potential champions need to meet a few basic criteria.
First, they need to be familiar with one another and to have chemistry since it’s early in the season. Second, they need to be young and energetic to get up for the new idea. And third, they need to have played well at the end of last year.
The Kings meet all of those standards and have great value.
NBA playoffs props: Brooklyn Nets to make the playoffs (+142 or better)
The Nets went 13-15 after they traded Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, which actually isn’t bad considering they lost their entire system and philosophy when those two walked out the door.
Mikal Bridges, Ben Simmons, Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and others offer tremendous length and defensive versatility. Bridges also showed that he can handle being the No. 1 option on the offense, and they stand out as the best of the teams vying for a 6-8 seed.
NBA division predictions: Los Angeles Lakers to win Pacific division (+370 or better)
The Lakers finished the regular season 18-9 after dealing Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley, and getting D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt in return. That .667 win percentage, if applied to the season, would not only have won them the Pacific, but the entire Western Conference.
The Phoenix Suns are heavy favorites to win the division but have glaring problems. Both teams are older with injury-riddled stars, but the Lakers have much better depth.
The Suns also don’t have one player that’s served as a full-time facilitator and have a defensive-minded coach in Frank Vogel trying to coach a bunch of offensive-minded players.
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Grant is a Virginia-based writer for Catena Media who graduated from Virginia Tech in 2021 with a degree in sports media & analytics. He has contributed to well-known publications such as Forbes, and appeared on the VSiN TV network. You can keep up with Grant's work here or by checking out his YouTube channel "The Sitch With Grant Mitchell.”
