With so many betting options for the NBA season, we asked PressBox’s Stan “The Fan” Charles, Glenn Clark and Spencer Schultz to share some of their favorite futures bets for this season.
All numbers are from FanDuel Sportsbook in mid-October.
Stan “The Fan” Charles
Detroit Pistons Under 25.5 Wins (-115)
The Pistons won just 17 games in 2022-23, leading them to give former Suns coach Monty Williams a six-year, $78.5 million contract. But the team only won 14 games in 2023-24 and fired Williams in June with $65 million left on his contract.
I’m not saying new coach J.B. Bickerstaff is better or worse than Williams, but a 12-win climb seems monumental with a roster this young.
Most Valuable Player Picks
I’m going to give give you five players to root for, all of whom have odds that make it worth your while if you can get one to the finish line as the league’s MVP.
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics (+1900)
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (+2100)
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies (+3400)
Julius Randle, Minnesota Timberwolves (+50000)
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks (+50000)
Glenn Clark
Victor Wembanyama To Record Quadruple-Double In Any Regular-Season Game (+1200)
How do you not take a shot at this one? Wemby is a unicorn. We’ve never seen any player like him. In a game against the Nuggets last year he finished with 23 points, 15 rebounds, 9 blocks and 8 assists. The Spurs’ roster is a little better this year with the additions of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, but it’s still Wembanyama’s show and I have to hold this ticket.
Phoenix Suns Over 47.5 Wins (-108)
Look, I’m a huge Suns fan, so maybe some of this is hopeful for me. But I truly believe bringing in two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer is a serious upgrade. And while I’m concerned about the age and health of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, those were issues last year and they still managed to win 49 games.
Bronny James To Score 20+ Points In Any Regular-Season Game (+1000)
This is just another ticket I have to hold. LeBron James seems hell-bent on justifying that Bronny was worthy of being drafted. Since the Lakers aren’t likely to be very good, there should be a number of chances to force this issue.
Spencer Schultz
Oklahoma City Thunder Over 56.5 Wins (-115)
Oklahoma City has the talent, experience, depth and now the big men to dominate. This could be a 65-win team considering how absurdly deep this squad is in all ways.
Houston Rockets Over 43.5 Wins (-108)
The Rockets are being overlooked as another ascending team in the Western Conference. They’re deep like the Thunder, but they’re not as green and now they’re hungry to get to the playoffs. They can shoot, play defense and attack in the open court.
Reed Sheppard To Win Rookie Of The Year (+650)
The sharpshooter comes from a Kentucky program that produces players who succeed early.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander To Win MVP (+500)
SGA came in second in MVP voting last year, taking home the vast majority of second-place votes. If Oklahoma City continues to ascend, SGA will be at the forefront of the MVP conversation. Voter fatigue could settle upon Nikola Jokić.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of UK Athletics