NBA Futures Betting Odds

Forbes

30 January 2023

NBA futures betting is a popular alternative to traditional game-to-game wagering.

Everyone wishes they could have the sports almanac from the film Back to the Future. Unfortunately, we don’t have a crystal ball. With NBA futures, bettors can pick from various options, including upcoming champions, the next MVP winner or whether a team will win more or less than a set amount of regular-season games.

Here, we will go over how to bet on basketball with a focus on NBA futures to help you become a more capable NBA bettor so you hold your money for longer. For the vast majority of sports fans, betting will never be a reliable way to make money, and that applies to NBA futures. We will also look at the current odds for 2022-23 NBA futures.

Note: Odds current as of Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 and subject to change and will be updated. Odds can also vary slightly based on sportsbook.

Odds To Win 2023 NBA Finals

Boston Celtics: +400
Brooklyn Nets: +550
Milwaukee Bucks: +800
Denver Nuggets: +800
Golden State Warriors: +900
Memphis Grizzlies: +1100
Philadelphia 76ers: +1200
Los Angeles Clippers: +1400
Phoenix Suns: +1600
Cleveland Cavaliers: +2000

Odds To Win 2023 Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics: +180
MilwaukeeBucks: +280
Brooklyn Nets: +450
Philadelphia 76ers: +600
Cleveland Cavaliers: +900

Odds To Win 2023 Western Conference

Denver Nuggets: +350
Golden State Warriors: +375
Memphis Grizzlies: +400
Los Angeles Clippers: +550
New Orleans Pelicans: +900
Phoenix Suns: +900

Odds To Win 2023 NBA MVP

Nikola Jokic: -115
Joel Embiid: +260
Luka Doncic: +700
Jayson Tatum: +850
Giannis Antetokounmpo: +1100

What Are NBA Futures?

Futures are bets on events that will happen later in the season, sometimes months away. They can involve teams or individual players.

We can sort futures into three tiers: favorites, dark horses, and long shots.

Favorites: The top teams or candidates for the betting market. They have the unofficial favorite label based on how their odds compare to the field. For example, five teams with +400 to +650 odds of winning the championship would be favorites, but if two teams were at +180 and the next closest was +1000, there would only be two true favorites.

In short, favorites have the best (shortest) + and – betting odds of winning, though they could be underdogs against a competitive field.

Dark horses: The middle tier of futures candidates. They have an outside chance at winning a particular race in the NBA, although they are not the public’s betting favorite. Some things will have to break their way as the season progresses. Dark horses can be around +1000 to win a particular betting market.

Long shots: This group consists of teams and players with a vast separation between them and the teams in the top tiers and cannot realistically win the betting market. Long-shot odds are generally worse than +2000. However, long shots can become dark horses or even favorites as time passes. It has happened.

Bottom line: Futures betting is challenging. Sports bettors might not want to take the favored outcome when the odds are juiced (less profitable), but the longer the wait, the higher the risk of those odds shortening. On the flip side, letting time pass allows bettors to see if the favorites slip up or if other top candidates emerge early in the season.

How Do You Bet NBA Futures?

As with any sound bet, research is the name of the game. You might not find any viable wagers after you conduct your research, but having a thought process for a bet is recommended.

For NBA awards races, you want to look at past performances, roster composition, coaching, player movement around the league, and systems and styles. That could be the tip of the iceberg, depending on much research you are looking to conduct.

For example, anyone betting on Giannis Antetokounmpo to win the scoring title should check his shooting percentage, his team’s pace of play, and his minutes per game. All of those numbers help predict his output for the season.

Similarly, an NBA fan looking to bet on the regular-season champion in terms of record will want to consider the division and conference. That will largely determine schedule toughness. So, if the Western Conference is superior and deeper than the Eastern Conference, teams out west will have a more challenging time securing the league’s best record than an East-Coast squad.

Looking at trends and the history of the particular market can also be relevant, although that should be tempered by additional research. An MVP winner rarely claims the award more than once or twice, and an NBA champion rarely goes back-to-back.

The general process of placing an NBA futures bet is the same for single-game bets on the moneyline, spread, or over/under:

Establish a betting account
Find and select the bet on the sportsbook
Assign a stake size
Press submit

Where To Bet NBA futures

All of the best NBA betting sites offer futures markets.

Assuming you have already selected a sportsbook, you should consult the NBA tab of the betting menu. Once there, you should find a section for “Futures,” which will be divided into various categories.

Look for any dropdown menus or expandable boxes if you do not immediately see futures after navigating to the NBA page. All futures bets are somewhere in this area.

While most sportsbooks offer NBA futures, the quality of the pricing can vary. We recommend bettors compare odds in the same market across multiple betting sites to find the best price. The odds for the Lakers to win the title might be the same across all sportsbooks, but there could be variation for the Celtics, for example. It depends on the team.

Sportsbooks tend to offer competitive or identical betting odds on events. Still, sometimes one will separate itself from the rest with a better line. Line shopping is a recommended part of the process.

If you have difficulty finding NBA futures bets at your online sportsbook, try typing it into the search bar or using a search engine. Results should direct you to betting lines for upcoming NBA events.

Remember that futures odds are fluid, meaning they change based on wins, losses, injuries, and trades.

Most Popular NBA Futures Bets

The most popular NBA future bet is on the upcoming champion. Odds change throughout the season and are available until the final game of the NBA Finals.

Another popular futures bet is the MVP award. Like predicting a champion, bettors pick their favorite candidate from a pool of athletes with varying value and likelihood. MVPs are decided purely by regular-season performances, but it helps if their team succeeds.

The Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) is another award that some sports gamblers throw money on. The DPOY is usually decided by a player’s impact on their team’s defense and influence in critical defensive metrics. Their steals, blocks and rebounds total are also a factor. Big men usually dominate the DPOY award because they produce better numbers than smaller guards.

Races for other statistical awards include the scoring, rebounding, and assist titles. Several sportsbooks will offer lines for steals, blocks, and three-point shooting leaders, among other smaller categories, although these lines are less common.

Bettors can also bet on division and conference winners, essentially picking which team will win the most games. At a more basic level, bettors can also predict whether teams will win over/under a number of games.

Futures bets cover nearly every area of the NBA, and it is up to bettors to find playable wagers.

When Do People Usually Bet NBA Futures?

There are a few hotspots for NBA futures betting, all of which coincide with specific parts of the NBA calendar.

The first and most obvious time to place NBA futures bets is at the start of the season. Excitement is high, the odds are unaffected by late-developing events, and team outlooks aren’t altered by performances.

Futures bettors, however, can size up the market as soon as an NBA season wraps up. Every season, odds for the following year’s championship winner are released moments after the final seconds of the NBA Finals, capitalizing on the emotions of heavily-invested fans. The reigning champions are almost always favored to win again, which means there is more value for other teams competing for the throne.

NBA bettors also frequently place futures stakes whenever significant events occur in the league, such as injuries or trades. For example, the Brooklyn Nets’ championship odds spiked after they traded for James Harden in 2021, which caused an influx in futures bets on them to win the upcoming championship.

Yet another popular time for NBA futures bets is at the start of the playoffs. At that point, seeds and home-court advantage are decided, and every team’s path to the title is clear. Bettors can evaluate the matchups that lay ahead and pick which team has the best chance of making a run for the Larry O’Brien trophy.

You don’t have to place futures bets at a specific time in the year—savvy observers can pick a spot that makes the most sense for them and their team regardless of public influence.

Who Won The Last NBA Finals?

2022: Golden State Warriors (def. Boston Celtics 4-2)
2021: Milwaukee Bucks (def. Phoenix Suns 4-2)
2020: Los Angeles Lakers (def. Miami Heat 4-2)
2019: Toronto Raptors (def. Golden State Warriors 4-2)
2018: Golden State Warriors (def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0)
2017: Golden State Warriors (def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1)
2016: Cleveland Cavaliers (def. Golden State Warriors 4-3)
2015: Golden State Warriors (def. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2)
2014: San Antonio Spurs (def. Miami Heat 4-1)
2013: Miami Heat (def. San Antonio Spurs 4-3)

Who Won The NBA MVP Last Season?

2022: Nikola Jokic (center, Denver Nuggets)
2021: Nikola Jokic (center, Denver Nuggets)
2020: Giannis Antetokounmpo (power forward, Milwaukee Bucks)
2019: Giannis Antetokounmpo (power forward, Milwaukee Bucks)
2018: James Harden (shooting guard, Houston Rockets)
2017: Russell Westbrook (point guard, Oklahoma City Thunder)
2016: Stephen Curry (point guard, Golden State Warriors)
2015: Stephen Curry (point guard, Golden State Warriors)
2014: Kevin Durant (small forward, Oklahoma City Thunder)
2013: LeBron James (small forward, Miami Heat)

Can I Cash Out Early On My NBA Futures Bets?

Sportsbooks will usually allow you to take an early cash-out in the build-up to the outcome, although only in some circumstances. Cash-outs can ensure you don’t walk away empty-handed and save you the worry if you become more unsure about your bet.

Bettors can cash out early on NBA futures bets at most times leading up to the event or outcome they bet on, though there are a few exceptions.

The first situation in which a futures bettor would not be able to secure a cash-out payment would be if the event or outcome is on the immediate horizon. Someone who bet on the Atlanta Hawks to win the NBA Finals would be unable to withdraw their bet for any prize if the Hawks were down 30 in the fourth quarter in Game Seven of the Finals.

Another scenario in which bettors would be unable to cash out their futures bet would be if a significant event has shaken up the league and odds are being adjusted. Depending on how the events affect your bet, you could receive higher or lower payouts than you previously would have.

One of the most undesirable spots to be in as a futures bettor is if your wager has lost nearly all chance of hitting or, worse, been mathematically reduced to an impossibility. Your bet may still appear in your “active bets” tab to show that you did place a wager, but there will be no or next-to-no value for it.

Parlaying NBA Futures

NBA bettors can parlay bet multiple futures to create larger potential payouts.

Parlaying NBA futures can involve picking the champion, MVP winner, and who will win the scoring title. If any of your selections loses, the entire parlay is graded as a loss. Parlays are very risky.

Parlays can be more exotic, like picking the champion in the NBA, NFL, and MLB for a particular season. Bettors have many options.

You can’t combine NBA futures with single-game outcomes. Futures bets must be grouped with other futures to be put into a parlay. For example, you couldn’t parlay the Lakers to win the NBA title and the team to win a random game. You’d have to bet these separately.

Futures can be one-offs or parlayed into a larger bet. Monitor situations around the league to know when to cash out, buy back in, or hold your bet through the finish line.

A level of patience is needed for future bettors, as they are wagering on something that will not be known for an extended period. NBA futures are one of the most integral parts of NBA betting. They allow bettors to put their knowledge and foresight against the test of time and win a hefty payout if everything pans out.