Two teams stand above the rest at this point in the NBA season. The Cleveland Cavaliers (47-10) and Oklahoma City Thunder (46-10) sit atop their respective conferences and have sizable leads over the teams behind them in the standings. Can they join an exclusive club by the end of the regular season, though? BetMGM is offering a special market in which bettors can wager on whether each team will reach the 70-win mark.
The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (72-10) were the first and only team to cross the 70-win threshold until the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors accomplished the feat. Now the Cavs and Thunder have a chance to join the club. OKC’s odds to get the job done are +1400 while Cleveland is sitting at +2500. The odds have shortened for both sides since last week, but there's not much room for error.
The Thunder have the league’s 10th most difficult schedule the rest of the way, according to Tankathon. They’ll face the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers twice apiece. OKC will also have to face the reigning champion Boston Celtics along the way. A 9.5-game lead over Memphis could make the top team in the Western Conference consider taking their foot off the gas.
The Cavs hold a 6.5-game lead over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference and have an easier schedule on paper. They’ll match up against the Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks twice. Meetings with the Celtics, Bucks, and Grizzlies could present a challenge as well. Cleveland is undefeated against three of the aforementioned teams and have every right to be confident in building on that.
There’s no clear best bet here, but circumstance seems to favor the Cavaliers. They’ve convincingly handled half of the toughest team’s they’re scheduled to face as the year winds down. There’s plenty of value on the table and bettors who think Cleveland will win at least 23 of their next 25 games should strike now.
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