NBA Power Rankings: Best Teams ATS & NBA Title Odds

Mark Strotman

November 5th, 2018

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NBA ATS Power Rankings & Title Odds

NBA betting fans be sure to check in every week for the latest trends, moving lines and analysis on potential contenders.

The Buck Starts Here

The Bucks are the rare team that tops the league in both straight-up win percentage and against-the-spread win percentage. Milwaukee couldn’t have asked for a better start to the Mike Budenholzer era.

The Bucks are third in offensive efficiency and second in defensive efficiency; the last team to finish in the top 3 in both was the 2017 NBA champion Warriors. That’s good company, and Giannis Antetokounmpo (26.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.4 blocks, 1.0 steals) is the easy frontrunner for MVP.

Keep hammering the Bucks, especially now that the offense is catching up to the defense.

Young Bulls Hanging Around

The Bulls are 2-8 and missing four of their key rotation pieces, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from the way they’re hanging tough against difficult opponents. They went 0-4 last week at home, but after the Golden State debacle on Monday, they led the Nuggets with two minutes to go, had the Pacers on the ropes and outscored the Rockets in three quarters.

They covered the spread in those final three games despite losing them all outright. Zach LaVine is third in the league in scoring and rookie Wendell Carter Jr. looks like the real deal. They’ll be even more competitive – straight up wins or not – when Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn return sometime next month.

Paging the Pelicans

During the season’s first week the New Orleans Pelicans looked like the class of the NBA, posting 131 and 149 points in their first two wins of the year. But it’s been a rough go since then, as the Pelicans have lost five straight games and haven’t covered in five of their last six contests.

Anthony Davis has been battling an elbow injury that has hurt his efficiency, but his play is an obvious one to watch as the Pelicans try to turn things around, both from their own and an odds perspective.

Are the Grizzlies and Kings For Real?

The two biggest surprises of the early season, the Kings and Grizzlies, are a combined 11-7 straight up and 12-6 against the spread.

The Grizzlies were dealt more injuries than any other team a year ago and are finally healthy, while the Kings have been building up these young pieces since dealing DeMarcus Cousins last year.

It’s more likely that basketball bookmakers won’t believe in these hot starts – especially considering the Kings were smacked by the Bucks and the Grizzlies lost to the Suns on Sunday – but as long as both squads are healthy they should remain competitive.

The winning records may not last, but both will be fine against the spread for now.

Probably Best to Avoid the Minnesota Drama

It’s anyone’s guess each night how the Minnesota Timberwolves will look. Jimmy Butler isn’t happy, is taking random games off and Andrew Wiggins has dealt with injuries early in the year. They began the season failing to cover three straight, followed by covering in four of five before two ugly losses to end this week.

Even if we know Butler is playing or resting, this team – and franchise, really – has become a headache. Let the Butler trade drama shake out or flip a coin on a wager trying to figure out what will happen.