LeBron makes Miami NBA Betting Favorites
LeBron makes Miami NBA Betting Favorites
LeBron makes Miami NBA Betting Favorites
In case you have been in a coma for the last 24 hours, LeBron James is "challenging himself" and heading to South Beach to team up with perennial All-Stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Considering this could be the best trio in the history of the NBA, odds-makers have made the Miami Heat +180 favorites to win the 2011 NBA Championship.
While they might be the favorites betting wise, it appears they will be anything but, with NBA Fans outside of southern Florida. LeBron's decision to announce his decision on a one hour, primetime ESPN program aptly named "The Decision" might have backfired from a public relations standpoint.
Thanks to James' antics, the Miami Heat appear to be public enemy #1; a role Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers (+300) have relished in the last few years.
But let's ignore all of that drama and discuss whether or not the Heat deserves to be favored.
There is no doubt Miami will be able to put points on the scoreboard this coming season. A lineup including James, Wade and Bosh represents three of the top nine scores in the NBA last season, combining for over 80 points per game.
However, what happens when a couple of them are on the bench or one of them gets injured? Outside of the newly signed Mike Miller, the bench will be full of second round picks and guys you might have never heard of. One minute the Heat could have the most potent lineup on the floor and just a couple minutes later they could have a glorified CBA team trying to protect a likely lead.
How will the Heat fare defensively? Say what you want about the NBA, but defense is as important as scoring the ball. Both Wade and James are very good defenders, there is no questioning that. However, the rest of the team is a huge question mark. Who will defend the opponents post players? If you can't defend the post or rebound, good luck making a run in the NBA postseason. If Heat fans are expecting Bosh to be able to stop the likes of Dwight Howard, they better not get their hopes up.
This leads us to our next question: who will start at center and point guard; arguably the two most important positions.
The Heat drafted center Dexter Pittman from Texas in the 2nd Round last month. As of now, he is there starting center. Pittman is coming off a disappointing senior campaign where he averaged just 10.4 points and 5.9 boards. It is impossible to imagine Pittman checking Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol next June.
Mario Chalmers is expected to run the point. Although he has shown some nice ability in his two years, he is still very ordinary by NBA standards. Last season he averaged just 7.1 points and 3.4 assists in about 25 minutes of action. These numbers were actually down from his rookie campaign when he 10 and 4.9 in 32 minutes of play.
The most important question is whether the big three can coexist. Whose team is this? Dwayne Wade has been there for years now and already has won a ring. There is little debate that LeBron is the most talented, but will he default to Wade when they need a big shot or will his massive ego get in the way?
Has there ever been a team in any professional sport that had so many questions surrounding them yet were the odds on favorite to win it all? Didn't think so, which is exactly why the betting odds on the Heat might be short right now. However, online sportsbooks are expecting plenty of Heat action on this prop so if you are on the Heat, you might want to get on them quick as the odds could shrink as the season approaches.
2010/2011 NBA Championship - Odds to Win
Miami Heat +180
LA Lakers +300
Orlando Magic +700
Boston Celtics +1000
Cleveland Cavaliers +10000
Over/Under Regular Season Wins Miami Heat
62.5
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