SBD’s Experts Pick Their Best Futures Bet for the 2020-21 NBA Season

• With the NBA season beginning Tuesday night, see what the SBD staff are wagering on before tip-off
• Picks include win totals, teams to make the postseason and an MVP bet
• See below for the best bets to make on the 2020-21 NBA season

The NBA has given us all the Christmas gift we need by kicking off their 2020-21 season before the turn of the calendar.

With a loaded opening week slate of games to bet on, let SBD’s editors guide you towards some great futures bets to wager on before the action tips off.

SBD Experts 2020-21 Best NBA Futures Picks and Odds

Odds taken from FanDuel on Dec. 22nd

Ryan Sura – Wizards Over 33.5 Wins

The John Wall experiment in Washington is finally over. After years of nagging injuries as a Wizard, the 30-year-old was shipped off to Houston for Russell Westbrook.

This team has a different feel with Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal at the helm. Combining for one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA, the Wizards should be able to compete with most teams in the East, especially within their division. Other than the Heat, the Wizards should be able to take care of business against the Magic, Hornets, and Hawks.

Russell Westbrook comes into Washington after a lone 44-win season with the Rockets. Westbrook had some obvious help from Harden to get to 44 wins, but the 9-time All-Star is one of the best commanding floor generals in the NBA. Alongside Beal, Davis Bertans, rookie Deni Avdija, and Rui Hachimura, the Wizards should have no problem winning 34 games. Not to mention, they have solid depth on their bench and a great coach in Scott Brooks.

Other than his rookie season, Westbrook has won more than 34 games in every single year of his career. I think his leadership and tenacity will go a long way in improving Washington’s team as a whole.

Matt McEwan – Suns to Make Playoffs

Simply put, Chris Paul is a winner. He has missed the playoffs three times in his 15-year career, and only once since 2007, which came in a season he only appeared in 45 games.

Last year CP3 turned a Thunder team that was projected to miss the playoffs into the fifth-seed in the West with a 44-28 record. I think he has much more talent around him in Phoenix this season, and love the Suns to get in at this price.

Sascha Paruk – Wizards to Make Playoffs

My best bet for the 2020-21 season is the Washington Wizards to make the eight-team playoff field at -115.

The rationale is relatively simple: Washington was the #9 seed in the East in 2019-20 (albeit a distant ninth), a year in which they were riddled by injuries. With Russell Westbrook joining a healthier Bradley Beal and a cast of improving youngsters, Washington is going to be considerably better.

Westbrook has only missed the playoffs once in the past 11 seasons. We all know he functions best when surrounded by shooters, and the Wizards actually ranked 8th-overall in three-point percentage last year. Davis Bertans is an absolute assassin who will keep defenders honest. Scott Brooks’ familiarity with Russ will help the Wizards craft a solid offensive system from the jump.

The play-in tournament is both a pro and a con with this bet. It’s a bridge too far to expect Washington to be a top-six seed in the East and make the playoffs automatically. But making up significant ground on the Magic and Pacers in order to grab the #7 or #8 seed is very doable. That would give them two chances to make the eight-team field. And even if they finish 9th or 10th, the bet will still be alive and there will be opportunities to hedge.

Ryan Metivier – Pistons Under 23.5 Wins

The Pistons were 20-46 last season and I’m not sure there’s a ton of reasons to think they’ve improved.

There’s been a lot of moving parts in this abbreviated offseason and little time for the new faces to get acquainted before tip-off. Given how bad they were last season, change can be good, but will it mark a quick improvement to reach 24 wins?

One of their best players from last season, Christian Wood was sent to Houston and only four of their key players are returning. Two of those, Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose, haven’t proved the most durable in their careers and even if they stay healthy and play well, there’s thought that one or both could be dangled as potential trade bait later in the season.

With just 2 days before the season opener in Minnesota, @blakegriffin23 is confident the team’s veterans basketball IQ will help overcome the learning curve that comes with the shortened preseason. Coach Casey and @JeramiGrant like where the defense is headed into game #1. pic.twitter.com/0tUK60k82u

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) December 21, 2020

After that, their best player is, maybe, rookie Killian Hayes. Otherwise they’ve brought in several journeymen role players and more youngsters.

Only the first half of the season schedule has been posted, but so far, it doesn’t look great for the Pistons and I’m struggling to pencil in too many wins. Even if the second half of the schedule turns out a little easier, it may be too late for anyone in Detroit to care. This roster may need a lot of things to break right to just have a chance at the play-in tournament. But may also only need a couple of things to go wrong to be a complete disaster.

Pete Apostolopoulos – Pelicans Over 34.5 Wins

The Pelicans are in a solid spot headed into 2020-21, and I love the energy, and potential value, they can bring. Everything starts, and stops with Zion. He was solid in his 24 games last season (22.4 PPG/6.3 ROG), and improved every night.

But, he needs to stay on the court for NO to win. I think Zion trades-in carrying some extra weight, for carrying this team, and doing it in a big way. If his constant improvements were any indication of what’s yet to come; look the f*** out.

NO lost All-Star Jrue Holliday, but I think that shows how much the team believes in Lonzo Ball’s ability to take the next step and be a quality PG. Add another budding star in Brandon Ingram, and a trio of legitimate vets in JJ Redick, Steven Adams & Eric Bledsoe, and we may have ourselves a playoff team here!

Dallas is awesome, but Memphis is young, and James Harden added the weight Zion lost. Throw in a super average San Antonio, and you get a weak Southwest division.  I like the Pels over 34.5 wins, and to make the playoffs at +136.

Mitch Robson – Anthony Davis to Win MVP

While betting a player award isn’t quite the lock some of my esteemed colleagues seem to have chosen, everything is scripting up for AD to have his first MVP winning season – and the +1000 price is too good to pass up.

Davis has looked sharp in the preseason, and figures to be the Lakers primary option most nights – at least early in the season as James eases into action after the short offseason.

If he’s able to produce a slight uptick on averages of 26.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 50% FG percentage from last year, he should be right there among top candidates in the league.

More than anything, MVP in the Association is narrative driven, and voters may have Giannis fatigue with his letdowns the last two postseasons. While Curry could have the Warriors back as contenders in the West and Doncic might be posting monster lines in Dallas, if Davis is the best player on the league’s best team, it will be hard for voters to say no to the Brow.