The NBA coach of the year award is one of the more intriguing future book wagers offered in the realm of pro hoops. It’s worth investigating from a betting standpoint because unlike other season awards such as the MVP or rookie of the year, there are no real clear-cut favorites. That tends to create very attractive NBA coach of the year odds to be contemplated by bettors.
Every season, there are teams that come out of nowhere and surprise. Nobody was backing the Phoenix Suns to reach the NBA Finals in 2021. Likewise, the Miami Heat were hardly the favorites to win the NBA Eastern Conference title in 2020. On the other side of that coin, no one would have predicted the dramatic and sudden decline of recent NBA champions such as the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors.
Who the award goes to each year also exemplifies the variety of choices there are that are possibilities within this category. Just look at the favorites in the 2021-22 NBA coach of the year picks and it absolutely emphasizes the uncertainty about the outcome of this award.
Both Eric Spoelstra of the Heat and Steve Nash of the Brooklyn Nets are Bovada’s co-favorites in the 2021-22 NBA coach of the year Vegas odds at +900. BetUS are listing Spoelstra and Golden State’s Steve Kerr as co-favorites at a betting line of +1000. MyBookie rates Kerr as their +800 chalk.
Last season, Spoelstra’s Miami squad slipped back down the standings following their surprising run to the 2020 NBA Finals before succumbing to the Los Angeles Lakers. Nash’s Nets went into the 2021 NBA playoffs as the favorites to win the title. They were toppled in the second round of postseason play in an epic seven-game series against the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. Kerr’s Warriors made an impressive charge to gain a place in the NBA Play-In Round after winning a league-low 15 games in 2019-20.
That’s the beauty of the NBA coach of the year betting markets. Even the chalk offers very profitable odds in the betting line. The bettor who can nail down the winner of his award will gain a significant return on a minimal investment.
Which Heat team is the real one? Is it the club that finished sixth in the East last season and fifth the year before? Or is it the team that charged all the way to the 2020 NBA Finals? Miami is a young team. Last year’s downturn might’ve been caused by learning to deal with expectations. Spoelstra is known as a coach who gets the most out of his teams. But he’s never earned coach of the year.
Kerr was the NBA coach of the year pick in 2015-16. If Golden State makes another quantum leap up the standings – the Warriors jumped six places last season – then he’ll certainly merit consideration again.
On the surface, what Nash is being asked to do – coaching what is viewed as the favorite to win the NBA Finals – well, couldn’t anybody coach that team? Actually, being able to take the strong alpha male egos that populate the Nets’ roster and getting them all to pull the rope together in the same direction takes some kind of coaching acumen.
The NBA is a player-driven league and the player who looks prepared to drive to the top of the charts this season as an elite superstar is Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. That’s good news for the NBA coach of the year odds of Hawks bench boss Nate McMillan. There were plenty of NBA people who were baffled when the Indiana Pacers jettisoned McMillan as their coach following the 2019-20 season.
Young is capable of carrying Atlanta to greater heights this season. Bettors might want to consider hitching a ride. Bovada is listing McMillan’s NBA coach of the year odds as short as +1300. But the wise NBA bettor will make their play on McMillan at BetUS, where his betting line for NBA COY is +2000.
Ousted from their home by COVID-19, minus key players from their championship run of 2019 such as Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka, and Marc Gasol, perhaps it was only natural that the Toronto Raptors would endure a downturn in fortunes.
Back home for this season, the Raptors are now the team of OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and Pascal Siakam. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Raptors rise up the standings again. If that happens, coach Nick Nurse, the 2019-20 winner of the NBA coach of the year, could pay off handsomely at odds of +3500 by winning again.
Nash is hugely popular in NBA circles. But the Nets are expected to contend.
McMillan looks like the way to play this bet. The Hawks should be moving up the ladder into a place of significance. That’s exactly the type of move that NBA coach of the year voters seek when filling out their ballots.
There are a number of leading online betting sites that will provide bettors with the chance to place a wager on the NBA, whether it be a moneyline or point spread wager, a future book bet, a parlay wager, or a player or team prop wager. The best bet you can make is to shop around in advance and seek out the right deal before joining one of these sportsbooks. Check out MyBookie and BetUS as examples.
About the Author
Noelle Matthews is a highly experienced professional in the betting industry, with over 15 years of expertise. She has made significant contributions to leading organizations in the field, including Betfair, ESPN, and Sporting Life. With her deep understanding of sports betting, you can find her insightful and informative reviews, articles, and previews on this platform. Pandora's extensive knowledge and years of experience make her a valuable resource for anyone interested in sports betting.
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