would be some correlation between winning on the court and winning at the windows they're probably working from a very meager bankroll about now.
In fact, the three teams with the best straight up (SU) records in the league, the Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics, all are under .500 against the spread (ATS). What's more, of the five teams that were offered in single digits when NBA futures first were posted last summer—the Lakers, Cavaliers, Celtics, Magic and Nuggets—not one of them is a day-to-day money-maker.
With sufficient data at their disposal, now is the time for NBA betting enthusiasts to reassess their wagering playbook, whether it involves re-evaluating their future book portfolio or hitting the sportsbooks anew with a different daily betting game plan.
With those two disciplines in mind, let's take a closer look at some of the NBA's more interesting teams. Opening and current future book odds are in parentheses. Records are accurate through Jan. 22.
LA Lakers (3/1, 9/5): If you're holding an NBA Championship ducat on LA at 3/1 you're in good shape. The Lakers are deep and talented and have Kobe Bryant to finish for them. But betting on LA on a game-to-game basis has been dicey. Through their first 43 games, the Lakers are just 19-23-1 ATS, including 6-11 ATS on the road and 1-4 as an underdog.
Cleveland (9/2, 3/1): The Cavaliers certainly remain in the championship hunt, especially after completing a sweep of the Lakers, Jan. 21. When healthy, the trio of LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and Mo Williams gives Cleveland the guns to play with anyone. But the Cavs haven't been friendly to bettors, posting a 21-22-1 mark ATS, including 7-12 ATS at home.
Boston (6/1, 7/2): The Celtics are just 17-24 ATS, including 6-13 ATS at BostonGarden and 13-22 as a favorite, miserable numbers for any gambler backing them. But a healthy Kevin Garnett will go a long way in cashing those future book tickets.
Orlando (5/1, 6/1): The Magic has slipped a little in futures only because getting past Cleveland, Boston and Atlanta in the Eastern Conference will be difficult. Orlando has been a .500 team ATS (20-20-3) but if you're looking for a betting angle, try the "under" when the Magic is on the road. It's 16-7 so far this season.
Denver (8/1, 10/1): Through Jan. 22, the Nuggets were tied with the Atlanta Hawks for the fourth best SU record in the league (28-14) but a 19-21-2 ATS mark made them a liability in day-to-day play. Stay away from Denver as a road favorite (4-11).
Atlanta (30/1, 20/1): At 28-14, the Hawks have the best pointspread record in the NBA. The team also is 16-7 ATS at home. No reason they won't be a solid play in the second half of the season.
Dallas (12/1, 15/1): It's the Mavericks, not the Spurs, who led the Southwest Division after 43 games, although Dallas has been a disaster at the windows, going just 19-24 ATS, including a dreadful 5-15 ATS at home.
San Antonio (10/1, 12/1): The Spurs have a winning record (21-20-1) against the number but it's not enough to beat the vigorish. With so much talent, the team should be doing better in straight up play, as well.
Bets and Pieces: Both Houston (12/1, 60/1) and Portland (10/1, 50/1) have been devastated by injuries, all but rendering any future book tickets held on those teams useless. But the Rockets are 22-20 ATS, including 4-0 as a home underdog, and the Trailblazers are 24-19-1 ATS overall, including 15-9 ATS versus teams from the Western Conference. New Orleans (15/1, 100/1) has slipped from contender status and is 19-23 ATS, including 6-13 as a favorite. Charlotte (50/1, 125/1) and Oklahoma City (250/100/1) have been surprisingly friendly to gamblers in individual games with the latter even in playoff contention. At 25-16 ATS, the Bobcats have the second best pointspread record in the league, while at 26-17 ATS the Thunder is a notch behind. Utah (15/1, 40/1) may be struggling for a playoff spot but at 24-16-2 ATS, the Jazz join only Atlanta, Charlotte and Oklahoma City as teams with a .600 record or better versus the pointspread. If you're waiting for the meek to inherit the earth, don't. New Jersey (50/1, 1,000/1) not only has the worst SU record in the league (3-39) but at 13-29, also is the worst ATS.
Heading into the second half of the season, NBA betting fans have some decisions to make.
