NBA start 2021 – favourites, champions odds, season bets & prediction
Who can stop the Super Lakers in 2021?
NBA 2020/2021 – here we go again! The NBA started 2020 will take place on December 22nd.
It starts with the secret favourites from Brooklyn who receive the Golden State Warriors.
Exactly these two teams made headlines in the off-season. The Warriors, because Klay Thompson, the bearer of hope, also tore his Achilles tendon after his cruciate ligament last year.
The Nets, because they want to start an attack on the championship with a recovered Kevin Durant. With two injury-prone stars like Durant and Irving a more than daring undertaking.
The betting providers were already able to impress them with this announcement – with the NBA odds at the start of the season they are at least already valid for the narrowest group of title favourites.
NBA betting & odds: Who will be champions in 2021?
Betting Prediction: LA Lakers
Odds: 3.75
Betting Prediction: Brooklyn Nets
Odds: 6.50
Betting Prediction: Los Angeles Clippers
Odds: 7.00
Betting Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks
Odds: 7.00
Betting Prediction: Boston Celtics
Odds: 16.00
Betting Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers
Odds: 17.00
Betting Prediction: Miami Heat
Odds: 16.00
Betting Prediction: Denver Nuggets
Odds: 21.00
NBA start 2020: the 8 championship favourites in check
In the off season, which this year was shorter than ever before, there were many other interesting deals and developments.
So the Wizards and the Rockets exchanged their two superstars John Wall and Russell Westbrook and Gordon Hayward got his payday at the Charlotte Hornets.
The biggest splash, however, was, as is so often the case, with the Los Angeles Lakers, who brought four other top players into the squad: Dennis Schröder, Montrezl Harrell, Wesley Matthews and Marc Gasol.
Thus, the men around LeBron James are enthroned again in the betting odds for the championship title before the NBA start 2020 and there are few experts who doubt a successful title defence.
We show which teams can succeed and which bets could be profitable with great value.
Los Angeles Lakers
Odds: 3.75
The Lakers did a lot right this off season and thus before the start of the 2020 NBA season – some experts even say Everything.
We are also of the opinion that all-important problem areas have been tackled consistently and that the team has even got a little better on paper before the NBA start in 2020 than in the previous season.
With Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schröder, the franchise brought the reigning 6th Man of the Year (Harrell) and the runner-up in this election (Schröder) into the team. It is hard to imagine a better upgrade for the bank.
However, it could well be that Schröder will also start a lot of games on the first to relieve King James when building the game.
With Wes Matthews and Marc Gasol, there are also two other veterans who are great options for both the starting five and larger bank roles.
Both are also excellent defensive players, which can be very important for the playoffs.
Expected formation of the Lakers:
PG: 🇩🇪 Dennis Schröder
SG: 🇺🇸 Wesley Mathews
SF: 🇺🇸 LeBron James
PF: 🇺🇸 Anthony Davis
C: 🇪🇸 Marc Gasol
Gasol as a defensive anchor
The role of Gasol, in particular, should be exciting as he has to replace two centres of different types with McGee and Howard.
The Spaniard is considered to be defensively strong and can also work well offensively in certain matchups. This will especially be the case in matchups with other strong bigs (Denver, Philly, Heat).
All in all, we don’t see much in our NBA championship predictions that stand in the way of defending the Lakers’ title.
Only an injury to one of the two superstars James and Davis or a brain fuck-up of an important bank player who demands more playing time (Schröder, Harrell) could lead to problems here.
Brooklyn Nets
Odds: 6.50
The Brooklyn Nets are astonishingly popular with bookmakers ahead of the NBA start in 2020 – for having only had a negative record last year with 35:37.
Yes, at that time Kevin Durant was also absent for the entire season, but how well and strong he reports back is still completely in the stars.
Otherwise, apart from a new coach (Steve Nash), not so much has happened around the franchise and they kept their feet amazingly still in the front office during the off season.
Anyone who would have expected Durant and Irving to add important role-players to the team (as the Lakers did), will be disappointed.
Expected list of the nets:
PG: 🇺🇸 Kyrie Irving
SG: 🇺🇸 Caris LeVert
SF: 🇺🇸 Joe Harris
PF: 🇺🇸 Kevin Durant
C: 🇺🇸 Jarrett Allen
Before the NBA start 2020: will the Nets still bring James Harden?
However, rumours still linger that the Nets are waiting for the Rockets to make James Harden available and then strike.
That would change the structure in the Eastern Conference significantly again in one fell swoop. But we have to wait until that happens.
With the current squad, we definitely do not see the Nets among the absolute top favourites for the championship title before the NBA start in 2020. In our NBA predictions, we cannot yet estimate whether Durant will again be the 30 point scorer he was.
At this point in time, NBA tips on her are not recommended, but should Harden join us, we will answer this question again.
Milwaukee Bucks
Odds: 7.00
The Milwaukee Bucks were in the NBA betting odds for championship titles for a few days on position 2 in the bookmaker rankings …
… at least as long as they had already signed Bogdan Bogdanovic and him as well as possible. Since he knew nothing about it, the trade broke and the bucks were left empty-handed.
Although the Bucks secured their dearly missing playmaker with Jrue Holiday before the start of the 2020 NBA season, who will also make them stronger in this position, on the whole, their off season cannot be described as a success.
Especially during the shoot, they were weakened considerably with the departures of Matthews, Hill and Korver.
The expected lineup of the Bucks:
PG: 🇺🇸 Jrue Holiday
SG: 🇺🇸 Donte DiVicenzo
SF: 🇺🇸 Khris Middleton
PF: 🇬🇷 Giannis Antetokounmpo
C: 🇺🇸 Brook Lopez
Everything weighs on Giannis
So again, a lot of responsibility will rest on the shoulders of Giannis Antetokounmpo – too much in our opinion.
For the regular season it should still be enough for a top 4 place and thus the Home Court Advantage in the playoffs, but the Bucks seem too calculable for more in the coming postseason.
We would avoid NBA bets on Milwaukee for the time being, especially since they are a top 3 favourite in terms of odds. However, we rate some other teams a bit higher – even in the Eastern Conference.
Los Angeles Clippers
Odds: 7.50
The Los Angeles Clippers are very difficult to assess before the NBA start in 2020 – especially since they have a new coach on the sidelines in Tyronn Lue.
He has already won an NBA title with the Cavaliers but is not considered the best tactician among coaches.
With Montrell Harrel, Landry Shamet and JaMychal Green, they also lost three very important role players, but on the other hand were only able to gain one player in Serge Ibaka, who should immediately bring a positive impact.
We don’t expect Nicolas Batum to do that straight away, as he was only able to play 22 games in the previous season due to an injury.
The expected line-up of the clippers:
PG: 🇺🇸 Patrick Beverley
SG: 🇺🇸 Paul George
SF: 🇺🇸 Kawhi Leonard
PF: 🇺🇸 Marcus Morris
C: 🇪🇸 Serge Ibaka
The question before the 2020 NBA start: Will the Clippers remain number 2 in LA?
Nevertheless, the Clipps – according to the NBA forecasts of the experts – should again be the team in the west in 2021 that is most likely to stop the Lakers.
The Houston Rockets have lost too much of substance and harmony for that, the Warriors with Klay Thompson again their life insurance and Suns and Pelicans are still in the middle of building up.
So at least NBA bets on a Western Conference Final between the Lakers and the Clippers would not be a bad option.
But then we see the Lakers in most positions stronger and, above all, lower than the Clipps. The long wait for the second most famous LA franchise is likely to continue in 2021.
Coach change
Brooklyn Nets Jacque Vaughn (interim) (2019/20) Steve Nash (2020/21)
Chicago Bulls Jim Boylen (2019/20) Billy Donovan (2020/21)
Houston Rockets Mike D’Antoni (2019/20) Stephen Silas (2020/21)
Indiana Pacers Nate McMillan (2019/20) Stephen Bjorkgren (2020/21)
Los Angeles Clippers Doc Rivers (2019/20) Tyronn Lue (2020/21)
New Orleans Pelicans Alvin Gentry (2019/20) Stan Van Gundy (2020/21)
New York Knicks Mike Miller (interim) (2019/20) Tom Thibodeau (2020/21)
Oklahoma City Thunder Billy Donovan (2019/20) Mark Daigneault (2020/21)
Philadelphia 76ers Brett Brown (2019/20) Doc Rivers (2020/21)
Boston Celtics
Odds: 16.00
At the Celtics, this off season was also rather quieter.
Gordon Hayward was given up ahead of the 2020 NBA start because they didn’t want to give him a Super Max contract (which was also completely over the top) and Enes Kanter joined the Portland Trail Blazer – not the biggest loss either.
With Aaron Nesmith, the draft also picked probably the best shooter, which can definitely be considered a steal.
Then there are Tristan Thompson from the Cavs and Jeff Teague from the Hawks – two more or less good backups for Kemba Walker and Daniel Theis.
The expected line-up of the Celtics:
PG: 🇺🇸 Kemba Walker
SG: 🇺🇸 Markus Smart
SF: 🇺🇸 Jaylen Brown
PF: 🇺🇸 Jayson Tatum
C: 🇩🇪 Daniel Theis
Before the NBA start in 2020: Little news from the Celts
What does this mean for the franchise and its goals for 2021?
Much remains the same, which means that the Celtics have to rely on the development of the no longer so young Smart, Brown or Tatum. What definitely speaks for Boston is their well-coordinated attitude.
No other team should harmonize so well with each other from the start of the NBA season as the Celtics, which definitely speaks for a top 4 placement after the regular season.
And then? In our opinion, the defender who can stop LeBron or the superstar who can wear the Celtics on bad days is still missing.
Tatum can do that now and then, but not permanently, which is why we don’t see her further than the second playoff round – again.
NBA bets on them are therefore particularly recommended before the start of the NBA season. In the opinion of the betting base, however, they are out of the question for the overall victory.
Philadelphia 76ers
Odds: 21.00
The Philadelphia 76ers were on fire for the off season. No team has made more moves and thus changed more than the franchise from the city of brotherly love.
Starting with the coach, where Doc Rivers replaces the hapless Brett Brown and starts with a very ambitious goal.
- “Winning is a kind of security. But if you want to win everything in the end, you have to leave this comfort zone. ” – Brett Brown
What Rivers mean by this is: The Process, which you have been quoting in Philly for years and on which you rely is a very nice and linear development, but to get to the top, you have to make painful cuts and decisions give.
In Philadelphia, before the NBA start in 2020, the decision was made with Al Horford, Josh Richardson, Glenn Robinson, Kyle O’Quinn and Alce Burks to give up a lot of depth and thus also to give up.
In return, they signed up stars with Danny Green, Seth Curry and Dwight Howard.
The expected line-up of the 76ers:
PG: 🇦🇺 Ben Simmons
SG: 🇺🇸 Seth Curry
SF: 🇺🇸 Danny Green
PF: 🇺🇸 Tobias Harris
C: 🇨🇲Joel Embiid
Are Rivers getting a grip on the franchise?
That could lead to problems if not all of them fit into the team structure, but for that they now have Doc Rivers in Philly, who will be able to do this more than almost any other coach with his authority.
After all, even the new US President Biden quoted him in his inaugural address in November.
So a lot has been changed and many stones have been replaced. It remains to be seen whether this will finally lead to the desired breakthrough to the top.
Due to the high betting odds on Philly, tips on the 76ers are definitely worth considering – the odds outweigh the risk here.
Miami Heat
Odds: 19.00
The Miami Heat were the pre-season positive surprise. Especially in the postseason they played big and could only be stopped by the Lakers in the finals.
But was that just a one-hit-wonder or can the Heat have a say in the coming season? Probably not according to the NBA championship odds.
Well, if we were already talking about a few changes at the Celtics, then we have to say the same for the Heat.
Avery Bradley and Maurice Harkless came – Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill were lost. In addition, a forward was brought in with Precious Achiuwa in the draft, which fits very well into the profile of the franchise.
The expected line-up of the Heat:
PG: 🇭🇷 Goran Dragic
SG: 🇺🇸 Duncan Robinson
SF: 🇺🇸 Jimmy Butler
PF: 🇺🇸 Meyers Leonard
C: 🇺🇸 Bam Adebayo
Riddle before the 2020 NBA start: can the Heat repeat their playoff run?
Nevertheless, by and large, that could not be enough to play the same role again in the stronger East as it did in 2020.
There are too many question marks for that, especially behind the performance of the two sophomores Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro.
If they can build on their hit rates from the triple line, then Miami can also be expected in the coming season. However, if they have a small slump that would not be abnormal in the second year, then it will be difficult.
According to general NBA predictions, the playoffs should be more than safe and then the matchup also depends very much on the heat.
Against Boston and Milwaukee, they should have a good chance, against Philly or the Nets we see it less. But: The Heat have by far the most stylish jerseys this season too.
Denver Nuggets
Odds: 23.00
Finally, let’s just say a few words about the Denver Nuggets.
On the one hand, it was they who ended all the Clippers’ dreams in the bubble and, on the other hand, there is another German on the team for the new season: Isaiah Hartenstein.
This could be a win-win situation as the Nuggets get a reliable and highly evolving centre behind Jokic and Hartenstein can learn a lot from Jokic.
Expected list of Nuggets:
PG: 🇺🇸 Jamal Murray
SG: 🇺🇸 Gary Harris
SF: 🇺🇸 Michael Porter Jr.
PF: 🇺🇸 Paul Milsap
C: 🇷🇸 Nikola Jokic
Even if some experts disagree, we see much greater potential than with Mason Plumlee.
As for the Denver title chances, we can keep it short. We’d be very surprised if the franchise came out through the second playoff round.
This could only change if Facundo Campazzo, who came from Real Madrid in Europe, immediately hits the NBA.
The betting base prediction for the NBA start 2020: who will be champions?
In summary, before the NBA start in 2020, there is also a number 1 tip from our champions’ predictions: The Lakers.
Too many building blocks were sensibly exchanged and supplemented in order to really bet against them with a clear conscience.
Those who add the two “Top 6th Men of the Year” to the squad can only be considered an absolute top favourite. And that can also be seen in the NBA odds of sports betting providers.
As number 2 on our list of NBA bets for champions 2021 – albeit by some distance – we still recommend bets on the Philadelphia 76ers.
On the one hand, it is a little easier for them to get to the finals in the Eastern Conference and on the other hand they now have a coach in Doc Rivers who knows how to form a team as a unit like no other.
Thus, bets on Philly as the winner of the Eastern Conference are also a nice outsider tip that still brings a lot of value.
We do not see the Brooklyn Nets, which are highly regarded by many, as the big contenders before the start of the NBA season in 2020 – neither for the NBA throne nor for the title of the Eastern Conference.
The masters of the last 10 years
2020 Los Angeles Lakers Miami Heat (4: 2)
2019 Toronto Raptors Golden State Warriors (4-2)
2018 Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers (4-0)
2017 Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1)
2016 Cleveland Cavaliers Golden State Warriors (4-3)
2015 Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers (4-2)
2014 San Antonio Spurs Miami Heat (4-1)
2013 Miami Heat San Antonio Spurs (4-3)
2012 Miami Heat Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1)
2011 Dallas Mavericks Miami Heat (4-2)
This is how the 2020/21 NBA season works – schedule & mode
First of all, it should be noted that the 2020/21 NBA season starts on December 22, around two months later than originally dated, which of course has to do with the Corona-related break in summer.
So the schedule gets messed up, which the NBA also had to react to.
The current plan provides that instead of the usual 82 season games, only 72 games will be played per team.
In addition, the All-Star Game 2021, which was originally supposed to take place in Indianapolis, has already been cancelled, so that the Mid Season Break can also be kept a little shorter than usual.
There would of course be further changes to the schedule if there were corona complications in the upcoming season. The second half of the schedule will therefore not be published until the next few months.
NBA season start: play-in mode for even more excitement
The play-in tournament, which was already held this summer, will be maintained in a slightly different mode, whereby the teams from positions 7-10 of the respective conference will have the chance to play off the last two participants among themselves.
Even teams that finish the regular season in 10th place still have playoff chances in this NBA season.
The rest of the playoff mode remains unchanged and the start of the playoffs is planned for May 22, 2021.
The finals should also be over by July 22nd at the latest, so that the players can still take part in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
NBA Start 2020: These season bets are available
In addition to the bets and odds on the NBA Champion 2021, the best betting providers also have some other seasonal bets in their NBA betting programs before the NBA start 2020.
In addition to bets on the winner of the respective division – Atlantic, Central, Pacific, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest – NBA odds are also offered for the winner of the two conferences – Eastern and Western.
In some divisions, such as Central with the Bucks or in the Southeast with the Miami Heat, the favourite status is so clear that a tip is hardly worth it.
Even before the start of the NBA in 2020, bets and odds on the conference winners are more interesting. While a duel between the Nets and the Bucks is looming in the Eastern Conference, everything should speak for the Lakers in the Western Conference.
NBA start 2020: odds and bets for the conference winners
Who will win the Eastern Conference?
Betting Prediction: Brooklyn Nets
Odds: 3.50
Betting Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks
Odds: 3.50
Betting Prediction: Boston Celtics
Odds: 6.50
Betting Prediction: Miami Heat
Odds: 6.50
Betting Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers
Odds: 8.00
Who will win the Western Conference?
Betting Prediction: LA Lakers
Odds: 2.30
Betting Prediction: Los Angeles Clippers
Odds: 4.00
Betting Prediction: Denver Nuggets
Odds: 9.50
Betting Prediction: Dallas Mavericks
Odds: 11.0
Betting Prediction: Golden State Warriors
Odds: 13.0
The best bookmakers for NBA betting
The NBA is enjoying increasing popularity in German-speaking countries. Especially since DAZN regularly shows the best basketball league in the world – and with Dennis Schröder & Co. strong German players also play a role on the floor.
This is also noticeable in the NBA betting program of the betting providers, who offer a wealth of NBA bets and odds – not only in the form of long-term bets, such as on the upcoming champions or division or conference winners but also on each individual Game.
