The NBA season is at the midseason mark. Part of making successful NBA bets is understanding when the value is too great to pass up. We’ve gotten a great look at these teams and know who is for real and who isn’t. At the midseason mark, here are the three best-value NBA bets. As a note, all of the odds are via FanDuel sportsbook.
Value NBA Bets: Indiana Pacers To Win The East (+2400)
This is definitely a long shot, but I love the value you get here. The Indiana Pacers have the seventh-best odds to win the Eastern Conference. The Celtics, Bucks, 76ers, Heat, Cavaliers, and Knicks all have better odds currently. However, I think the Pacers are primed for a run. They have an elite player in Tyrese Haliburton. Pascal Siakam brings championship pedigree and will help on the defensive end of the floor. Buddy Hield, Myles Turner, and a slew of other players give this team a nice rotation.
The East is wide open. Boston has looked the best, but every other team has looked very beatable. Indiana has succeeded against the Bucks, and they currently have the second-best odds. If the team goes on a little run in the second half of the season, it is possible they could grab a top-four seed in the East. As last year’s playoffs showed us, anything is possible once the postseason begins. If Siakam comes in and raises this team’s floor, they could represent the Eash in the NBA Finals and make you a lot of money. This is one of my favorite NBA bets in terms of value.
Anthony Davis, Defensive Player Of The Year (+1900)
Rudy Gobert is a heavy favorite right now at -310, but I think it is a crime that Davis isn’t in the conversation. We’ve seen it in stretches from Davis. On any given night, he can be the best defensive player on the court. The value resides where the Los Angeles Lakers are in the standings right now. They are currently tenth in the West and, similar to last season, will have to go on a run to make the play-in tournament.
If the Lakers are going to make a run, Davis will be a big part of it. Awards in any sport suffer from recency bias. If Davis has a monster defensive second half of the season and vaults the Lakers into a top-six seed, the gap between him and the top contenders will close. In terms of NBA bets, the value is too great to pass up in this case.
Dallas Mavericks To Win The West (+1500)
The Mavericks are flying under the radar. We hear about the success of the Timberwolves and Thunder and the struggles of the Suns and Lakers. Everyone seems to disregard the Mavericks. The team still has a top-five player in Luka Doncic, who can take over a game. Kyrie Irving has a championship pedigree and can also score in bunches. Tim Hardaway Jr., Grant Williams, and Derrick Jones Jr. are quality role pieces. Derek Lively has dealt with injuries, but he has been fantastic on the floor.
The path in the Western Conference doesn’t seem all that daunting. Getting past Denver will be tough, as playing Nikola Jokic in a seven-game series is a nightmare. Otherwise, I would give the Mavericks a great chance in a seven-game series against the other teams. They’ve done it before in the playoffs. Dallas upset the Phoenix Suns and made the conference finals two years ago. If Doncic and Irving get hot, this team may be too much to handle.
Other Candidates For Value NBA Bets
There were a couple of other NBA bets that I thought about putting in. The challenge of any value bet is there is a fine line between value and a complete long shot. Haliburton is +10000 to win the MVP. That isn’t value. That is praying for the impossible to happen. The Lakers are +1800 to win the West. The value is there if you believe in LeBron James and the team making a move before the deadline.
Jamahl Mosley is +1500 for Coach of the Year. If he is able to lead the Orlando Magic to the playoffs, it isn’t out of the question that he could win the award. Finally, the Miami Heat are +1700 to win the East. My advice to you on this one is to look at last season. I certainly will not count out Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo on a team led by Erik Spoelstra. The odds are in your favor if you think they have another run in them in 2024. There are many great NBA bets out there right now with plenty of value.
For More Great Sports Content
Matt has been following sports since he was a kid. While football is his primary focus, Matt can talk about any sport anytime. He is a banker in Wisconsin and hosts two podcasts, Beers and Ears & Discontinued on Display.
Follow him on Twitter at @sorcerermatt, and follow us @TotalApexSports. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL sports, click here!
