Germantas Kneita
The NBA is coming down to the final stretch of the regular season with teams having between 26 and 28 games remaining. There seems to be a lot left to play for with the race for playoff positions heating up. Star-studded rosters like the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns currently find themselves out of the play-in picture and will be desperate to get into the mix. Let’s get into my NBA futures best bets for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
NBA futures best bet: Oklahoma City Thunder to win NBA Championship (+225)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook and Bet365 at time of publishing.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently tied for the best record in the NBA along with the Cleveland Cavaliers. If they can separate themselves from them, the Thunder could have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. That could play a major part in a championship run considering they have lost just 3 games out of 28 at Paycom Center.
At the time of publishing, the Thunder lead the league in net offensive and defensive rating this season and are currently on pace to outperform the mark the defending champion Boston Celtics set in that category last season. The off-season addition of Isaiah Hartenstein has been massive, as it gives them a terrific center that they can match up against the likes of Nikola Jokic. It is something that they did not have last season. The Thunder are the most well-rounded team in the league this season and pose great value to win the NBA Championship.
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NBA player futures best bet: Nikola Jokic to win MVP (+350)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook and Bet365 at time of publishing.
The reigning MVP Nikola Jokic has been cast aside by sportsbooks in the MVP race, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being made the clear favorite. However, his stats have been incredible this season and I expect him to force himself back into the conversation by the end of the season. He is currently on pace to average a triple-double for the season, something only Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson have achieved.
In fact, Jokic has also seen a jump in all major statistical categories apart from blocks and field-goal percentage. That includes a 3.4 points-per-game jump and a 9.1% jump in three-point percentage. The Nuggets could secure the 2nd seed in the Western Conference, so team success might not be a huge disparaging factor between him and Gilgeous-Alexander. At the end of the season, Jokic should have the backing of advanced analytics and the team success, so this race is far from over.
To make/miss the playoffs best bet: Philadelphia 76ers to make the playoffs (+265)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook and Bet365 at time of publishing.
After the all-star break, it is time for the Philadelphia 76ers to lock in and make a playoff push. Luckily for them, their remaining schedule is 27th in terms of strength for the rest of the season. Ahead of them in the play-in positions they have the Miami Heat, the tanking Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic. All these teams are below .500 over their last 10 games. Of these teams, the Bulls are the most reachable and have the strongest schedule remaining of the 5 teams. The 76ers’ big 3 of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George should all be available for the run-in which should make a huge difference. If they make it into the play-ins, I would take them over any of the other teams mentioned in a 1-game setting. With that in mind, the Sixers are a good value bet to sneak into the playoffs.
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