Why not? is a feature on The Touchback exploring bets with longer odds that could plausibly happen. This doesn’t mean these wagers are locks. They are simply ones where you can justify the risk. Today, we look at why you should bet on the Denver Nuggets to win the NBA Title at +2500.
A small number of players dominated the NBA in the 2010s. If your team didn’t have LeBron James, Steph Curry or Kawhi Leonard, you weren’t winning a championship. Sure, Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki snuck in there in 2010 and 2011, but that was it. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks broke that trend last season. And this brings us to a bet on the Denver Nuggets to win the NBA Title at +2500. (Odds at Fanduel Sportsbook).
When the Bucks and Phoenix Suns advanced to the NBA Finals last July, it felt like the league was shifting. Regular season teams could win it all no matter how much veteran talent the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers acquired. Neither those two nor the LA Clippers could withstand the grind of the playoffs.
And yet the Nets and Lakers are the two favorites to win this year’s championship. Sure, they have a lot of talent. But each one is also extremely vulnerable. Meanwhile, the Warriors (+1200), Jazz (+1400) and 76ers (+2000) all have flaws that will be difficult to overcome.
The Suns and Bucks are there as well, but neither offer as much upside as the Denver Nuggets sitting there are +2500. Look, they will be without Jamal Murray for a large part of the regular season which is why you can get these odds. But it’s not like he’s need for the next 81 games.
Denver went 13-5 after Murray was injured last season and upset Phoenix on the road to open this year. Nikola Jokic is playing at an MVP level, and they have the talent to finish as one of the top three seeds in the Western Conference as is.
That being said, Murray will return before the end of the season. It could even be sooner as he’s already dunking a basketball. There should hopefully be enough time to work him back into the rotation and be fully healthy entering the playoffs. Assuming Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. don’t get hurt, the Nuggets matchup against anyone else.
More Betting: Why not bet on the Florida Panthers to win the Stanley Cup at +2200?
Should you bet on Denver Nuggets to win the NBA Title at +2500?
As we saw last season, anything is possible in the present-day NBA. The 2020s look like they will be a wide-open decade with no true super teams unless the Nets get their act together. When you combine that with the talent on their roster, why not bet the Denver Nuggets to win the NBA Title at +2500?
Ultimately, the Lakers are a name. And you shouldn’t bet on a name. They showed nothing last season, and it makes no sense for them to be favorites. You can make cases for the Bucks, Jazz, Suns and Warriors, but the odds for Denver to win are significantly better. If Milwaukee can win a championship with an MVP and a talented but not elite supporting cast, the Nuggets could easily do the same in 2022.
Also, you can get Denver to win the Western Conference at +1000. This isn’t a bad way to hedge your bet.
Also Interesting: Giannis and the 6 worst free throw shooting games in NBA history
