All-Star Break Check-In

Yet another uninspired NBA All-Star Weekend has already taken plenty of heat online over the past week, so I’ll resist the urge to keep piling on. Besides, there were at least some memorable moments from the festivities 👇

But I’ll just leave it at this — thank goodness real NBA games are almost back. Regular season action doesn’t officially resume until tomorrow night, but we’re coming at ya early with a look ahead at the second half. And what better place to start than a check-in on the latest title odds 👇

After a splashy offseason that landed Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in Beantown, the Celtics entered this season with sky-high expectations as the title favorite. And with the league’s best record so far at 43-19, they’ve only strengthened their case 📈

According to oddsmakers, the biggest threat to Boston out of the East is a team that has made its fair share of headlines lately, but they haven’t exactly been positive ones. What the heck is happening in Milwaukee? 🤥

• The Adrian Griffin era came to an unceremonious end after just a few short months, and the Bucks thought the solution to their problems was…Doc Rivers? Any team with both Giannis and Dame should be dangerous come playoff time, but a 3-7 record since Doc took over doesn’t instill too much confidence 😬

There’s still time for the Bucks to figure it out, and the Knicks and Cavs have both used scorching-hot stretches to rocket up the odds board…but smart money is still on the Celtics representing the East in the NBA Finals. The Wild Wild West, though, is looking much harder to predict 🤔

• Just how deep is the West this year? The Timberwolves and Thunder, two electric young teams who currently sit in the top two spots in the standings, are both tied for just the eighth-best title odds 😳

I guess oddsmakers are banking on experience coming through in the playoffs, and with Kawhi, PG-13, Harden and Westbrook all healthy and meshing together nicely, the Clippers have that in abundance. And other stars seem to have noticed 👇

Then there’s the Suns, who certainly aren’t lacking in the star-power department either. The new Big 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal barely shared the floor through the season’s first couple months, but lately we’ve seen the fully-healthy upside in effect much more often. Our friends at Boardroom just dropped an amazing fully unfiltered KD interview, do us a favor and check it out 🙏

Then again, maybe we’re overthinking it and last year was just the start of a Denver dynasty. The Nuggets are unsurprisingly right in the thick of it once again, and there’s a good chance Nikola Jokic adds a third MVP award to his trophy case at season’s end 👇

More hardware for the Serbian triple-double machine would be well-deserved, but I gotta confess I’m rooting for SGA at +210…and for any other bettors who were also bold enough to sprinkle a little on the Thunder guard before the season at +2300 😎

Trivia Question: Jokic could become just the eighth player to win at least three NBA MVP awards; can you name the other seven?

For My Parlay Gurus

The season’s second half starts in style on Thursday night with a loaded slate, including a pair of rivalry matchups going down back-to-back on TNT. Phoenix picked up a big win in Dallas just a month ago, and I got them doing it once again tonight, but I think the Warriors are able to defend their home court against the Lakers in a battle between surprising play-in teams. Check out this parlay 👇

• Suns ML vs. Mavericks: +130

• Warriors ML vs. Lakers: -180

$100 on this bet would win you $258 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win an Overtime hoodie*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: Michael Jordan and Bill Russell each won five MVP awards, Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James each won four, and Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson each won three

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Many will enter, one (1) will win. Void where prohibited. Open to legal US & DC residents 18 years or older. Prize is one Overtime hoodie. Approximate retail value (“ARV”): $65. Entries are accepted until 11:59 pm EST on the day after the bet hits. See Campaign Terms for additional terms. ©2023 Overtime Sports, Inc. All rights reserved.