Three Dark Horse NBA Title Contenders In Second Half Of Season

by WagerHome Blog on February 18, 2020

From a legendary slam dunk competition to a battle to the very end in the NBA All-Star Game, it was an All-Star weekend for the ages, all underscored with tributes to the life and play of the late Kobe Bryant.

The pause in the season came at the perfect time, allowing everyone to celebrate and reflect on what has happened in the last three weeks. And everyone seems to have left the weekend re-charged and with a new sense of purpose for the upcoming sprint to the postseason.

The favorites to compete for the title have already established themselves. But who might emerge in the second half as dark horse candidates that could give the heavyweights a run for their money?

Denver Nuggets

The favorites in the West are the two teams in Los Angeles, with the Lakers moving clear of the field in the week before the All-Star break. But both the Lakers and Clippers are an injury away from coming back to the pack. The Nuggets, on the other hand, run deep. They’ve rarely had everyone healthy at the same time, yet are still hanging around.

If Paul George’s bad hamstring acts up for the Clippers, or one of the big-two with the Lakers goes into the playoffs less than healthy, keep an eye on the depth of the Nuggets.

Miami Heat

No team has seen a bigger jump in its odds to win the NBA title over the course of the season more than the Miami Heat. They began the year at 600-to-1, and now stand as high 25-to-1.

No, that doesn’t make them a likely winner. But they’ve played great basketball inside the Eastern Conference, they’ve been absolutely dominant at home, and they added Andre Iguodala at the trade deadline.

That doesn’t necessarily put them in Milwaukee’s league, but it does put them in position to capitalize should the Bucks stumble.

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors have also seen a meteoric rise in their championship odds largely fueled by an amazing 15-game win streak right before the All-Star break. Power forward Pascal Siakam has emerged as a consistent scorer down low, and he’s been complimented on the outside by the great play of guards Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet.

nba

They obviously lost Kawhi Leonard in the offseason, and expectations for this team were low because of that. But they still have plenty of playoff experience and the ability to get hot at a moment’s notice.

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WagerHome BlogThree Dark Horse NBA Title Contenders In Second Half Of Season

Betting These 3 Dark Horses In The NCAA Tournament

by WagerHome Blog on January 25, 2020

Not everything has to be about the Super Bowl this week. As the calendar gets closer to February, the NCAA basketball season begins to take center stage as the favorites battle it out for the top seeds in March.

But every year, there is an unexpected run to the Final Four, like Auburn in 2019. So who is this year’s best candidate to go on a run and outperform its seed? Who might be the surprise wager of the year and net you a tidy profit in a future’s bet?

Houston Cougars 80/1

The Houston Cougars were a No. 3 seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, but because they lost a pair of scorers from that team, they began this season unranked. That has changed, as they’ve now climbed into the Top 25 following a big win over 16th-ranked Wichita State.

And with a tough road loss at Oregon, this team will be battle-tested by the time March rolls around.

With Kansas transfer Quentin Grimes emerging as the superstar scorer the Cougars hoped he would be, this is exactly the kind of team that can go on a late-season run to Atlanta.

Maryland Terrapins 40/1

It seems like every year, there is a team from the Big Ten in the mix to win the national championship, and quite often, that team is Michigan State. But don’t sleep on Maryland, which is currently tied for third in the conference.

The Terrapins have had big wins over Notre Dame and Marquette – two frequent teams mentioned as possible tournament dark horses – and the grind through the conference will get Maryland more than ready for March.

dark horse

Maryland features a great defense, giving up just 61 points per game, and a dynamic outside scorer in junior guard Anthony Cowan Jr. And that combo is exactly what a team needs for a deep tournament run.

Arizona Wildcats 25/1

The Pac-12 has been a down conference for quite some time. It has had just one Final Four appearance (Oregon) in the last 11 years. But with three teams in the Top 25 this year, there is some quality basketball being played out west, and Arizona might be a team primed to return to the former glory of the Lute Olson days.

It was 2001 the last time Arizona made a Final Four, but following a dominant 21-point win over 20th-ranked Colorado, the Wildcats look like a team on the rise. They’ve also looked very good in close losses to Baylor, Oregon, and Gonzaga, giving them the exact kind of resume you look for in a tournament dark horse.

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WagerHome BlogBetting These 3 Dark Horses In The NCAA Tournament