The NBA has just passed the halfway point for games and that means it’s a great time to start looking at futures. The markets for the awards and the playoffs are developing, and we’re preparing to get down on those NBA futures markets over on Kalshi. Their ability to trade positions makes NBA predictions more fun and profitable than ever. Come check out some of the spots we suggest that you get in on early.
NBA Futures Markets on Kalshi – January 26th
Eastern Conference Champion Market
The Celtics have ascended into a tie for the number one odds to win the Eastern Conference Finals. It makes sense as they have moved all the way up to the #2 spot in the conference and are only a half dozen games out of the top spot. Despite the fact that they’ve lost to the Pistons three times already, I do think this is still a buy-low spot for the Celtics that you could eventually trade out of for a big profit.
The largest reason why is the imminent return of Jayson Tatum. It’s becoming more and more likely that he’ll return at some point during this season. Obviously, there will be questions about how much he’ll be able to contribute and how many minutes he’ll play, but he should give the team a boost on the floor. In addition to giving the team a boost on the floor, he should give this market a boost as well. As they near the playoffs, if there is even a whisper of Tatum coming back for the run, I expect this to get driven up. At that point it should be in a place where you could trade out and get a nice payday.
Chicago Bulls Win Totals
While my fandom of the Bulls is leaking through a bit, I also think this is a spot to buy in and ride out. The Bulls’ projection for them to win at least 40 games is at less than 50%. However, they enter action tonight with a .511 win percentage, which comes out to a 41.9 win pace. They’ll be fighting to stay in the play-in, most likely, which means they are unlikely to take games off late.
The reason this number is this low is probably the strength of schedule. The Bulls currently have the 8th toughest strength of schedule for the remainder of the year. However, the Bulls actually seem to play better against the top teams in the league. They already have wins over the Pistons, Celtics, Nuggets, and Knicks. They also took two off of the Cavaliers and 76ers. I’ll take them to keep their pace and eventually cash this one for us.
Defensive Player of the Year
The first future we gave was with eyes on trading out. The second one was a play and ride selection. This look at Defensive Player of the Year afford you a bit of both options.
Firstly, I think Holmgren is in a great place to win his first DPOY this year. He’s played all except for six of the Thunders’ games, and is currently second in the league in blocks. When you watch him on the court, he changes the way other teams attack the basket and that’s what the voters look for.
However, if if you’re worried he’s going to lose the award to an outside option like Rudy Gobert or Amen Thompson, his odds are likely to skyrocket as Wembanyama continues to play reduced time. He’s back into the starting lineups, but he’s still playing less than he did at the beginning of the year. Plus, when the Spurs are on the verge of clinching, I can imagine they rest him a few times to make sure he’s ready to go. If you’re not ready to ride Chet to the end, that may be an opportunity to get out at a nice profit.
If you’d like even more picks and predictions that you can use to play on Kalshi’s Prediction Market, be sure to check out the Sports Gambling Podcast. The guys are dropping plenty of episodes to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
