With the NBA Playoffs in full swing, the first round has shown us who were the pretenders and who are the contenders. With this being said, there is still bountiful quality and value to be found in taking teams outright for the NBA title or simply hopping on a team to hedge in a potential cash-out scenario. With the Conference Semifinals set to commence, here are a few teams worth staking a bet on and how they can bode profits:
San Antonio +250 – If there was a team that could create problems for Golden State, it is the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs stand at 42-1 at home this season and they own an impressive home win over this very team, holding the NBA’s best offense to under 90 points when they visited in March. San Antonio has a basketball genius at the helm in Greg Popovich who knows how to maximize his personnel and compel his players to execute fundamentals. Without question the addition of LaMarcus Aldridge played a huge role in bolstering the Spurs’ success but let us never forget this is a team that went to the NBA Finals with Danny Green, a young Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills. This team simply knows how to win.
Toronto +5500 – The Raptors hold home-court advantage in to the Conference Finals, which means they get four games at home in the Great White North where they have been extremely dangerous all season long. The Raptors also have proven that they can beat the top-seed Cleveland Cavaliers on several occasions. If Toronto wins Game Seven against Indiana, which is certainly manageable they will be rid of a playoff ghost that has haunted them for over a decade, finally making it out of the first round since their fledgling days with Vince Carter. Toronto has perhaps the second best duo of guards in the NBA in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan and if Toronto remains stout at home, they potentially only have to win one game in Cleveland to go to the NBA Finals.
Charlotte +15000 – Charlotte’s defense has been a menace of Miami even if the Heat’s offense is not known as a good one. For three consecutive games, the Hornets held the Heat to under 90 points of offense and that is a feat very hard to achieve in the NBA against any team, regardless of offensive prowess. If Charlotte gets by Miami in Game Seven, a series against Toronto or Indiana is certainly winnable for the Hornets. With this kind of value, Charlotte could potentially march to the Conference Finals and offer a great hedge or cash-out opportunity for anyone who jumps aboard this team now. This is a basketball team that can certainly challenge Cleveland in a seven-game series as well. For many analysts and pundits, the Eastern Conference seems to be Cleveland and the seven dwarves but Charlotte is not a team to be taken this lightly. Abundant value.
