The second half of the NBA season starts Thursday night, and plenty of teams will be looking to capture the illustrious Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of the postseason.
The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are both set to add new stars to the mix after a blockbuster trade that shook up the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks remain a force, with the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics all vying for playoff positioning.
The Phoenix Suns sit atop the Western Conference entering the second half but might have to finish the regular season without star point guard Chris Paul. Paul's thumb injury opens up the conference for other teams like the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets.
The All-Star break gave our betting expert Doug Kezirian and senior writer André Snellings a chance to reset and make some new bets on title futures and MVP odds. Here are some best bets and futures picks for the NBA's second half.
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook unless noted otherwise.
André Snellings' best second-half title bets
Milwaukee Bucks
To win the NBA championship (+600)
