2020-2021 NBA Playoff Value Bets to Consider

The 2020-21 NBA season starts in 12 days. That means you have a little less than two weeks to get all of your preseason bets in. There is never more betting value than there is before the season officially tips off, which is why you would be prudent to take a gander at the various offerings available right now at various NBA betting sites.

BetOnline is one of the many sites that has gone above-and-beyond with their early-season props and futures odds. The site has handicapped the field of all 30 teams with an eye on trying to predict which 16 teams will ultimately advance to the playoffs. Injuries and other unforeseen factors will play a role in the ultimate outcomes, of course, but there is still upside to be found if you place your wagers early.

BetOnline now has props for the playoff chances of every team as we get ready for the new campaign. While there is some parity in the NBA, we have a general idea as to which teams are locks to get in.

There won’t be any drama in the playoff chances for teams like the Lakers, Bucks, or Clippers, of course. The value lies in targeting the teams whose playoff hopes will likely come down to the wire. That makes these bets a sweat, but the payoff can be worth it if you catch the right breaks along the way.

The following are five solid sleeper bets to make the playoffs this season.

Charlotte Hornets

• To Make the Playoffs (+350)
• To Miss the Playoffs (-450)

The Eastern Conference may be improving, but the bottom half is still ugly. The Hornets actually wound up finishing ninth last season despite going just 23-42. Orlando qualified for the postseason at 33-40. It really doesn’t take much to nab one of the last playoff spots out East.

Charlotte is a team with some promise. The Hornets drafted LaMelo Ball with the third overall pick in last month’s draft. Ball was thought by many to be the best prospect in the class, so nabbing him at No. 3 may have been a steal. Armed with an impressive young core that now features Ball, Devonte Graham, Miles Bridges, and PJ Washington, the Hornets went out and surprisingly broke the bank to lure Gordon Hayward away from the Celtics in free agency.

Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball at practice 🔥

(🎥 @hornets ) pic.twitter.com/eUvjRj90cy

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) December 4, 2020

Hayward isn’t a transcendent superstar, but he is still a reliable scoring presence on the wing that any team could put to good use. Assuming Bridges and Washington continue to develop, the Hornets quietly have a fairly deep roster that should be good enough to compete for a spot in the postseason.

Playing in the Southeast Division won’t hurt their chances. Other than Miami, there isn’t another team in the division you would say is a legitimate Finals contender by any means.

There are plenty of wins to be had out there between the Hawks, Wizards, and Magic. There is obvious risk in betting on the Hornets to make the playoffs given their long odds, but I do think they are being a bit overlooked by oddsmakers.

Given the state of the bottom half of the Eastern Conference, why can’t Charlotte make a run? Grab the +350 value on Buzz City to sneak into the top-eight.

Washington Wizards

• To Make the Playoffs (-110)
• To Miss the Playoffs (-120)

The Wizards had longer odds to make the playoffs before trading John Wall for Russell Westbrook a couple of weeks ago. That deal improved Washington’s playoff odds considerably, but there is still value here. The Wizards went just 1-7 after the NBA’s Orlando restart, but let’s not forget that they were playing those games without Wall, Bradley Beal, and Davis Bertans. It was not a particularly accurate representation of the team’s quality.

Washington quietly had one of the most efficient offenses in basketball last season. The defense, of course, was another story. Only the Cavaliers allowed more points per 100 possessions than the Wiz did, and I certainly don’t think adding Westbrook to the mix will help them too much in that regard. That said, this team should be able to put plenty of points on the board.

Deni Avdija could prove to have been a nice value for the Wizards with the ninth overall pick in the draft. Thomas Bryant and Rui Hachimura are a couple of young bigs with offensive potential, while the Wizards have been bullish on Troy Brown since taking him in the lottery back in 2018. The youth of this team will likely lead to another awful defensive showing, but, again, this is the East we’re talking about.

Getting the Wizards at close to even-money to finish in a postseason spot looks like a reasonable enough bet.

New Orleans Pelicans

• To Make the Playoffs (+145)
• To Miss the Playoffs (-175)

The Western Conference is a different animal. Barring major injuries, most of the playoff positions are already spoken for. Both LA teams will obviously qualify. Dallas, Utah, Denver, and Portland all look like safe bets, too. That really only leaves two spots for which the other teams to jockey. Oklahoma City tanking will open up one of the spots, while the Rockets’ chances hinge on whether they trade James Harden.

The Suns are a popular bet to nab one of those spots. Ditto for the Warriors. New Orleans was a trendy pick before last season thanks in large part to all of the hype surrounding Zion Williamson. That hype seems to have died down a year later despite the fact that Zion actually looked great when he did finally play as a rookie. The Pels plummeted down the standings with Williamson sidelined to begin last season before mounting a late charge after his return.

“He’s a man-child. He won’t be stopped going downhill.” – @joshhart on @Zionwilliamson

The 2020-21 NBA Season Starts Christmas Week with Games Beginning Tuesday, December 22. #KiaTipOff20 pic.twitter.com/LWQowCBvEa

— NBA (@NBA) December 9, 2020

New Orleans seems to have upgraded on the coaching front with the hire of Stan Van Gundy, who has a good track record of getting the most out of the talent at his disposal. Brandon Ingram finally emerged as a legitimate star in his first season with the team, and his numbers didn’t take much of a hit after Zion came back. Swapping Jrue Holiday for Eric Bledsoe is obviously a downgrade, but the team also likely upgraded the center spot by replacing the departed Derrick Favors with the more durable Steven Adams.

Are the Pels too young to make a run in the West?

It’s possible. Bledsoe, Adams, and JJ Redick are the only rotation players with more than a handful of NBA years under their belts, so this could wind up being another lottery-bound season for New Orleans despite the potential for rapid improvement. Still, that potential is worth betting on, especially given the +145 odds of sneaking into one of the eight Western Conference playoff spots.

There’s just a lot to like about this team. Betting on a playoff appearance this year may be wishful thinking, but there is actually merit to being wishful here.

Chicago Bulls

• To Make the Playoffs (+275)
• To Miss the Playoffs (-350)

I drank the Bulls’ Kool-Aid before last season began, which wound up being a dreadful call. However, I’m going right back to the punchbowl heading into the 2020-21 campaign. The Bulls mercifully fired the awful Jim Boylen and replaced him with an actual capable coach in Billy Donovan. Donovan helped an underdog Thunder team to a playoff appearance last year, so who’s to say he can’t pull the same stunt this season in the weaker conference?

The Bulls’ roster doesn’t look a whole lot different than it did last year, but this is a young team in general. Zach LaVine continued to assert himself as the team’s offensive centerpiece, but question marks remain about the likes of Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter, and Coby White. Markkanen seemingly took an unexpected step back last season, while Carter has dealt with a seemingly endless stream of injuries early in his career. White has potential as a microwave scorer at this level, but it remains to be seen whether he can coexist defensively in the backcourt next to LaVine.

Rookie Patrick Williams should step in and help the team’s perimeter defense right away. Otto Porter Jr. is another player that missed most of last year with injuries, but he looked stellar after arriving in the Windy City two years ago.

If he can rediscover his old form, Chicago suddenly looks a lot more formidable on both ends of the floor.

With the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture in flux, it wouldn’t be the craziest thing for the Bulls to stumble into one of the last spots. You can do a lot worse than taking a flier on Chicago at the current +275 number.

Houston Rockets

• To Make the Playoffs (-115)
• To Miss the Playoffs (-115)

At full strength, the Rockets certainly aren’t something you’d call a “sleeper.” However, BetOnline and other NBA betting sites are taking a cautious approach to Houston this preseason. With Harden angling for a trade, we don’t know how the Rockets’ roster will look when the season starts. If he gets his wish, he’ll be gone.

Houston has been steadfast in their stance that Harden won’t be traded unless they’re blown away by an offer. We’ll see if any team can meet their asking price, but the smart money seems to be on Harden at least starting the season in H-Town. He has two years left on his deal, and he reported to training camp on Tuesday. Even if he wants to leave, the team doesn’t have to necessarily acquiesce.

James Harden has added the Bucks and Heat to his preferred trade destinations along with 76ers and Nets, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/TdZIaXtTxC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 10, 2020

With Harden, the Rockets are easily a playoff team. They have reshaped the roster around him this winter with the additions of John Wall, Christian Wood, and DeMarcus Cousins. Stephen Silas is viewed by many as a smart hire to replace Mike D’Antoni. If they can get Harden to buy back in, the Rockets should be able to push the Mavericks for the Southwest title.

Where would the Rockets’ playoff odds be if we knew Harden would be here for the full season? -300? Higher? This bet is all about value. If you think the Rockets hang onto Harden all year, betting on the current -115 odds to make the playoffs is a no-brainer.