Last season, the Golden State Warriors won the title at roughly 20-1 odds, huge NBA preseason odds by NBA futures standards. However, it's still a league where the favorites usually win championships, and often at short odds.
As last season concluded in June, I wrote that the San Antonio Spurs were a value bet to win the 2015-16 title at 12-1 odds. They obviously caught the right break with the signing of LaMarcus Aldridge, and at the Westgate Superbook San Antonio they are now all the way down to 4-1 in the rough-and-tumble Western Conference. The Spurs are still my pick to represent the West, but it's difficult to recommend backing them in the current price range. In fact, I peg a Spurs/Cleveland Cavaliers matchup in the NBA Finals, but they offer little true value in the futures market.
Here's my preseason betting guide, including conference and division title bets, season win total bets and teams to bet on and against:
Eastern Conference title: Atlanta Hawks 9-1
If the Hawks could have just peaked in May instead of January last season, it could've been a different postseason.
