Hoop dreams with Wildz Sports

To celebrate the tip-off of the new NBA season, we’re launching a Wildz Sports Raffle. Simply place NBA wagers to claim raffle tickets for a chance to win some fantastic prizes. That way, every every dunk, three-pointer, assist and even rebound counts for so much more. Now on to the action itself.

A father-son duo, a retiring former MVP and a big KAT arrives in the Big Apple. These are just a few of the storylines shaking up the NBA pre-season. Of course we’re talking about the Los Angeles Lakers drafting Lebron’s son Bronny, Derrick Rose hanging up his sneakers and Karl-Anthony Towns joining the New York Knicks. But more about that later.

First up, let’s salute the reigning champions the Boston Celtics. At odds of (+310) at Wildz Sports, the Celts are favorites across the board to win another NBA Championship. Despite the 7 foot 2 Krisptas Porzingis recovering from foot surgery until the new year, the Boston outfit will be confident of becoming Eastern Conference - Winners at (+160). Even when he returns, Porzingis is realistically the team’s third or fourth option offensively.

That’s because, powered by Jayson Tatum, last year’s NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and the evergreen Jrue Holiday, the Celtics will take some stopping. Speaking of Tatum, despite finally winning a championship, the small forward endured a frustrating Olympic Games in Paris. Although Team USA did win gold in Paris, Tatum was a mostly unused spectator on the bench. With something to prove, Tatum at (+1,800) for Regular Season MVP could be worth a shout.

Staying on the subject of regular season MVP, the usual suspects like Luka Doncic (+360), Nikola Jokic (+380), Joel Embiid (+680) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (+760) take to the court again. Outside of these names, look at Anthony Edwards (+1,200), Victor Wembanyama (+1,900) and Jalen Brunson (+1,600) for good value bets.

In addition to personal trophies and seasonal outright bets, there are tons of betting opportunities in the 1,230 regular season games. Ranging from Moneylines to Total Points and Made Threes to Total Team Assists, and beyond, following the action with Wildz Sports is the smart punter’s choice. Even better, we offer the most popular betting markets such as Parlay Boosts, Bet of The Day, Boosted Odds and the ever-creative Wildz Specials.

Returning to the quest for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, who should the Celtics be wary of?

With Canada’s very own Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, plus Alex Caruso and Chet Holmgren, the Western Conferences’ Oklahoma City Thunder are some people’s pick for the title at (+700). However, can they overcome their youth and limited playoff experience to go all the way? One thing for sure is that the OKC will be favored to be Western Conference - Winners at (+340).

The aforementioned Knicks with KAT and Brunson are tipped by many hoop heads to win it all at odds of (+800). Nearby, there is the latest version of the Philadelphia 76ers’ “big three” of Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and now Paul George at (+900). Like the Knicks, the Sixers have talent to burn but could a lack of championship metal and immaturity be their undoing?

Elsewhere, the championship-proven Denver Nuggets at (+900), now with former MVP Russell Westbrook, are probably a smarter choice. Already blessed with three-time MVP Jokic and Kitchener-born Jamal Murray at point guard, the Nuggets shouldn’t be overlooked. Other notable teams to monitor are last year’s beaten finalists the Dallas Mavericks who have added sharp shooter Klay Thompson to their roster. Whereas the San Antonio Spurs have picked up savvy veteran guard Chris Paul to further the development of Wembanyama.

If you’re one with split loyalties, why not place a bet on the NBA Champion - Winning Conference? Here we have the stacked Eastern Conference at (-122), while the Western Conference is good for (-101). Not much is expected of the Toronto Raptors but they could be worth a punt at (+165) To Make Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament or (+560) To Reach the Playoffs proper.

For Rookie of the Year (ROTY) honours, look no further than Toronto-native Zach Edey (+460), Reed Sheppard (+600) and Zaccharie Risacher (+840) from France. These rookie hopefuls will be vying to emulate a previous ROTY by the name of Derrick Rose who recently announced his retirement. Rose, whose accolades also included three All-Star selections and an All-NBA First Team place, will be sorely missed by fans and his peers alike.

Only injuries and a run of bad luck prevented Rose and his Chicago Bulls from challenging Lebron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat teams in the early 2010s. Concluding with King James, the NBA will see the first father to play with his son. Realistically, Bronny James will be a limited role player at best. However, when he does share the court with his Dad, be sure to check out the latest bets on our NBA Homepage.