NBA Finals Betting – What to Consider for the Final Series of the Season
.In what has been an unpredictable, exciting NBA season, we have finally reached the main event. It’s that time of the season to look at NBA finals betting options.
Each year there are different factors to consider. In this example, we will look at the 2022 finals to illustrate.
NBA Finals Betting – Offense Versus Defense
The NBA Finals will host the hot shooting Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, as they match up against the defensive specialists Boston Celtics.
The Warriors enter the Finals as favourites after disassembling Denver, Memphis and Dallas. The Celtics had a tougher journey as both the Miami & Milwaukee series went to game 7s, fending off some incredible individual efforts from Jimmy Butler and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The different paths to the finals for both teams will impact NBA finals betting.
In what should be a closely contested NBA Finals, we have had a look at what sports bettors should be looking out for when Betting on the NBA Finals:
Good Defence, Just Better Offence – Boston’s Offence Could Surprise
The Boston Celtics have taken pride in their defence all season and even more so in the Playoffs! The Celtics have limited their opponents this postseason to just 87.5 points per 100 half-court plays, which during the regular season would stand along with some of the worst offensive teams in the NBA (Detroit & OKC).
Boston also boasts just 101 points allowed per game average for the playoffs which ranks 2nd in the league.
Unfortunately, the Warriors come into the Finals with the best offence in the playoffs with 114 points per game. The Warriors also take the most field goals between the 2 teams. If you don’t shoot, you can’t score.
While they say Defence wins championships, don’t sleep on the Celtics offensive fire power in the form of Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown. Both guys are more than capable of going for 30+ points a game, while the Warriors have Curry, Thompson, Poole and Wiggins to rack up the points.
Looking at markets such as “Team Total Points” or “Over/Under Full Time” may be a safer bet in this case. Boston are known to be defensive specialists. However, no one has come close to slowing down the Warriors. That, with the offensive threat Boston also quietly poses, should result in some high scoring games!
NBA Finals Betting – Home Court Advantage
The Warriors are still to lose a single home game this playoff season. With a record of 9-0 at home, the Celtics will find it tough when visiting The Chase Center. Boston have had their own woes at home and furthermore taking care of the ball has been an issue.
The Celtics averaged 18.7 turnovers in the three games they lost to the Heat, versus 11.5 in the four games they won. 2 of those games were at home in the TD Garden. Points from turnovers will prove a key factor for the warriors if they prove to be successful.
The Warriors have the luxury of having 4 home games if need be in the NBA Finals, which really paints the picture of how big of a task the Celtics have ahead.
Knowing this, the “race to points” market could hold great value. Warriors have started all their home games at a rapid pace and have finished strongly in 4th quarters too. Off the back of their immaculate home record this playoff season and with Boston struggling to hold onto the ball, the home team Warriors will look to come out firing and not look back!
Finals MVP
Bizarrely, Stephen Curry has 3 rings, multiple league MVPs and incredible playoff performances throughout the years, but has never received a Finals MVP. In what seems like a year that the Warriors blossomed as the season went on, still no one believed that Curry could carry the Warriors to the heights they are currently playing at.
That being said, Tatum and first time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart have been doing their own heavy lifting with a similar Boston side. Curry at 33, is very much still at the peak of his powers.
He will be hungry for that ring and Finals MVP to add to his very impressive career with Golden State, however, it was shown in the past that defensive performances hold some value in the NBA Finals.
Marcus Smart will be tasked with the job of slowing down Steph, which is no easy task. If he is successful in his role, he will be in with a great chance of his first ring and a potential Finals MVP. Similar to the role Andre Igoudala played in the 2015 Finals as he slowed down Lebron James to secure a championship and MVP award.
The award is usually given to the winning team’s highest point scorer but in a year that a guard wins DPOY for the first time since 1995/96, value appears in the MVP Finals Market!
Conclusion
All in all, it is essential to understand the various parameters of the two teams involved. Their strengths and weaknesses and how they relate to each other are important.
As outlined above using the 2022 finals as an example there are a number of factors to consider.
You can bet on the NBA finals here at VIPCasino.
It is key to look at the different aspects of NBA finals before placing your bet.
