As the clock ticks down on tipoff for the 2009-10 NBA regular season, bettors across the land are being tempted with options on ‘futures’ best from online sportsbooks.

Basketball betting futures do not get quite the demand that football betting takes in August and a part of that has to do with timing. In the late summer days, as football fans casually scan the lines for preseason NFL games worth throwing a buck on, the only other major sport vying for attention is baseball.

Even then, players have been betting baseball since April and it’s a grind; the novelty has worn off. The anticipation of football season brings with it a whole new excitement, though, and predicting Season Win Totals in a 16-game season is one of the most popular futures of all.

Right now sports bettors have a World Series on tap, football betting for college and pros is in full gear and hockey’s regular season in underway. The NBA season will be a bonus but before things get going, let’s take a quick look at some of the teams making headlines along with what kind of numbers the sportsbooks online are offering for those of us interested in long-term predictions.

It’s no surprise that the Cleveland Cavaliers (+150) have been tabbed as favorites to win the Conference since signing Shaquille O’Neal. The four-time NBA Championship winner is considered the final piece of the puzzle needed to bump LeBron James into the loop. The Cavs had an astonishing 66-16 record in 2008-09 and the team’s SWT has been rolled back to 61.5, tempting those who feel they can pull it off again.

Boston (+200) and Orlando (+400) are next in the East and some bettors feel that the attention Cleveland is getting could be acting as a bargaining tool for plays on both of these qualified winners. The Celts (OV 57.5) won 62 games last year and get all-star Kevin Garnett back after surgery to remove a bone spur in his right knee.

Garnett brings defense to a team that struggled down the stretch, losing to Orlando in the second round of the playoffs, but he also brings clutch scoring that can boost this team late in the game.


Los Angeles Lakers (-120) have been at the forefront of b-ball bettors minds since they became champions in the spring but betting has been scaled back by players in search of the next big Western upset. The biggest challenge LA will face seems to have come in the form of internal issues since the team brought in Ron Artest at small forward. A versatile player, Artest will help the Lakers in one area they struggled: Defensive rebounding. The rest will be up to the players and coaches to figure out.

Oddsmakers have listed LA (OV 62.5) with the highest SWT in the league and the Lake finished 2008-09 with a 65-17 record.

Next in the conference is San Antonio (54.5), just one game better than Denver and Portland. All three teams finished last season with identical 54-28 SU records and while the Trailblazers made huge steps forward last season, they are not expected to go far into the post-season.

The Spurs (+300) and Nuggets (+400) are paying back at expected levels for teams in their projected win bracket but the Blazers are offered at a whooping 9-to-1 rate. It will be very difficult for any team to contend with the Lakers in the Western Conference playoffs in 2010 but as far as value goes, the Blazers might get the nod.