On the eve of the 2012/13 NBA season, the Miami Heat are the $3.34 favourites with online bookmaker sportsbet to make it back-to-back championships.
With Dwight Howard and Steve Nash now on their roster, the LA Lakers are next in the market at $4.00 with Oklahoma ($6.00), Chicago ($15) and Aussie Patty Mills’ San Antonio ($17) rounding out the top five in betting.
Heat superstar LeBron James is also tipped for consecutive MVP titles, installed at $2.29, ahead of Kevin Durant ($4.25), Kobe Bryant ($12.25), Howard ($14.75), Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook (both $17.25).
“The Miami Heat have bolstered their roster in the off season, including adding Ray Allen, so they’ve gotten better and are clearly the team to beat,” said sportsbet.com.au’s Ben Hawes.
“The LA Lakers have signed Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to compliment Kobe Bryant so look a scary proposition, while we expect the youthful Thunder to be thereabouts once again.”
The Boston Celtics, LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, NY Knicks and Indiana Pacers are all priced at $21, while Andrew Bogut’s Golden State Warriors are in the market at a distant $151.
Number one draft pick Anthony Davis is the $2.25 favourite to win the Rookie of the Year crown, Durant is at $1.67 to win the scoring title, while the Heat ($1.82) and Lakers ($2.33) are favourites to win the Eastern and Western Conference titles respectively.
Markets courtesy of sportsbet.com.au
2012/13 NBA winner
$3.34 Miami Heat
$4.00 LA Lakers
$6.00 Oklahoma City Thunder
$15 Chicago Bulls
$17 San Antonio Spurs
$21 Boston Celtics, LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, NY Knicks, Indiana Pacers
$33 Philadelphia 76ers
$35 Brooklyn Nets
$41 Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks
$52 Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz
$67 Houston Rockets
$106 Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves
$151 Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers
$211 Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Hornets, Detroit Pistons
$261 Toronto Raptors
$501 Charlotte Bobcats
Most Valuable Player
$2.29 LeBron James
$4.25 Kevin Durant
$12.25 Kobe Bryant
$14.75 Dwight Howard
$17.25 Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook
$18 Chris Paul
$19.75 Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade
Others quoted
Scoring title
$1.67 Kevin Durant
$4.50 LeBron James
$14 Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony
$23 Dwyane Wade
$26 Kevin Love
Others quoted
Regular season wins
San Antonio Spurs
$1.87 Over 56.0
$1.87 Under 56.0
Golden State Warriors
$1.87 Over 36.0
$1.87 Under 36.0
Eastern Conference
$1.82 Miami Heat
$8.00 Chicago Bulls
$11 Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, NY Knicks
$16 Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets
$26 Atlanta Hawks
Others quoted
Western Conference
$2.33 LA Lakers
$3.92 Oklahoma City Thunder
$9.00 San Antonio Spurs
$12 LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies
$21 Dallas Mavericks
$25 Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets
Others quoted
Rookie Of The Year
$2.25 Anthony Davis
$6.00 Damien Lillard
$10 Bradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
$13 Harrison Barnes
Others quoted
