Spencer Schultz, whose favorite plays can be seen on PressBoxOnline.com, recently sorted through some futures bets options prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 NBA season.
This has been edited for clarity.
PressBox: When do you start thinking about NBA futures bets?
Spencer Schultz: Right toward the end of summer into Labor Day I start to peruse and browse and try to process some of the moves that have gone on and maybe players that are coming back from injury and things like that. I really like looking at division futures a lot. I like to parlay the divisions a little bit. The Thunder are -125. You can parlay that with a team like the Magic or a team like the Bucks, who I would say are a dominant force in their division. As long as Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy, you can get some plus value.
I really like divisions. The interesting thing, too, is the NBA Cup. The early-season tournament is fun to look at and I think it has a little March Madness to it. That’s a fun one to start checking out as the season gets fired up, and I love that the NBA did that to try to get some views. I’m really looking at MVP and Rookie of the Year a lot. I always like the guy who’s fourth or fifth on the list who’s a little younger, maybe, and hasn’t had the accolades. To me, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is very much in that category. I’ve been looking at him a little bit with some futures.
PB: What teams do you like to come out of the Eastern Conference?
SS: The Celtics are a heavy favorite right now to win the Eastern Conference. I think they did get a little bit of luck. They had some injuries themselves — Kristaps Porzingis and some other guys got beat up at times — but the other contenders like the Bucks, Knicks and 76ers had worse injuries. The Bucks didn’t have Giannis. The Knicks were without Julius Randle. By the end of their playoff run, the Knicks were so decimated by injury. It was unbelievable. And the Sixers, obviously, too, which is a common theme.
Out of the Eastern Conference, I do like looking at the Bucks and Knicks to make it. I think that those teams, just with a little bit better injury luck, can give the Celtics a serious run. The Pacers gave the Celtics trouble to a degree. I do not think the Celtics are going to repeat. Because of that, I look at the Knicks, Bucks and Magic. As the Magic continue to mature, I think that they can play a little better basketball, get a little tougher in the paint. Those are three teams I’m looking at in the Eastern Conference, for sure.
PB: What teams do you like to come out of the Western Conference?
SS: The favorites are the Thunder out of the West right now. I am pretty bullish on the Thunder. I always try to avoid favorites because the value’s not huge, but they added to the middle. They get Isaiah Hartenstein from the Knicks who can provide a little bit more of that stability. They just didn’t feel like they had that presence and size to rebound and compete in playoff basketball.
That team was so young. They did get their playoff experience. They had some struggles in the first round. I just love the prospect of the Thunder this year. They’ve had such a good process. I think they’re a good organization. They slow-played things and have such a pool of talent. I like the Thunder to win the West. I like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win MVP. Not the sharpest shooter on Earth, but we’ve watched Giannis be able to hit a couple threes. Shai is a better shooter to start than Giannis was. I think we’ll see him progress.
… I do like the Spurs’ win total a lot. I think they also have a really good process and I would not be surprised to see them make a serious run, would not be surprised to see them win their division. That’s kind of a way of hedging out in the West a little bit with the Thunder and some other teams. Those are the two young teams I’m looking to that I think have a really strong process as the West gets a little bit older.
PB: Why is Zach Edey the preseason Rookie of the Year favorite?
SS: I believe because he is what the Grizzlies have lacked. I’m not touching that at all. He’s tall. I don’t know if he’ll be able to run enough at first. I don’t know that he’ll be able to manage the season quite as well. He was on the floor for Purdue nonstop, but college basketball is a lot slower. The games are shorter. The athletes are not quite as ridiculous yet. They’re quick, but the power and speed combination to run the floor in the NBA is a little different. I think he can have a really nice role for them and help them a lot, but I don’t know if he’s going to make an impact on a team that has some other talent.
PB: Who stands out for Coach of the Year?
SS: I like Ime Udoka on the Rockets a lot. I think that’s a pretty solid wager. The Rockets fit in that same category as the Spurs — young team, a lot of talent, seems like they have a good process as well. I like Udoka going in there and being able to really get them to a higher level. They were able to compete last year at a level that wasn’t predicted. They certainly crushed their win total from the beginning of the season. I think he will be able to make a huge difference for that Rockets team. I do like that one a lot. Mark Daigneault from the Thunder … I think the Thunder could win a ridiculous amount of games this year. It feels like they’re going to turn into a regular-season horse. They’re so deep. They’re so talented. They’re so young. Load management’s not an issue for them because of their talent and their depth and their youth. I think they could put up a pretty ridiculous win total.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Purdue Athletics