[PAYTON20]

The team who most people gave no chance to win the title at the beginning of the season will get hot at the right time and win it all - just like last year with the Mavericks. Meaning Vegas will effectively cash-in on all the Celtics, Lakers, Bulls, Thunder, and Heat money that was laid on futures prior to and throughout the season.

It's been happening in every sport, the "easy-pick" favorite before the season, and even mid-season to start of playoffs, never comes thru and actually wins... and everyone's future cards are burned

-Giants over Rangers in World Series 2 years ago- didn't hear anyone picking Giants during regular season lol

-Cardinals over Rangers in last year's World Series- again, a team who sneaks into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season ends up winning it all

-Boston Bruins over the Canucks in last year's Stanley Cup when everyone was so sure it was the Canucks' year

-Packers over Steelers '11 Super Bowl- again a team who squeaks into the playoffs on the last week of the regular season as a wild-card takes down the championship

-Giants over Patriots in this year's Super Bowl- no one laying big money pre to midseason on Super Bowl futures were betting the Giants, you kidding me? Even at the start of the playoffs many picked them to lose first round

-Mavs over Heat in last year's NBA Finals- no one expected the Mavs to even beat the Lakers, let alone OKC and THEN the Heat

Think about how much money Vegas collected off future bets and even losing bets right before the Championship Game/Series on these upset, or unexpected winners I guess you could call them

Now just think about how much money has been bet on the Miami Heat to win the NBA Title this year

Then imagine how much more money would be bet on Miami heading into the Finals at even, or even +money!

It ain't that easy my friends....
Spurs take it down, Vegas collects it all

[PAYTON20]

And yes I realize I'm not pulling a Nostradamus or going out on a huge limb here, as the Spurs are already up 2-0 in WCF and favorites to win it all... but this is why I think the Spurs will be the NBA champs.

...Not to mention they are the most well-rounded basketball team at this point

[alister888]

...Not to mention they are the most well-rounded basketball team at this point

This.

[Sportsbetting123]

As long as the Heat don't win it (or the Celtics for that matter), I am happy.

[jjgold]

Spurs played well all year

This is not just a hot team

We are way beyond that

[EasyHustlin]

There was a lot of squrare money on Kentucky futures...

[milwaukee mike]

Spurs played well all year

This is not just a hot team

We are way beyond that

very true

but i don't think there were many people saying the spurs would win it all even a month ago. okc was the clear favorite (betting wise) in the west until the last couple weeks of the regular season

i think it will be a toss up for the finals and a very interesting matchup if it's heat/spurs, i'll be rooting for the heat

[seaborneq]

There was a lot of squrare money on Kentucky futures...

I cashed in on that one.

[PAYTON20]

There was a lot of squrare money on Kentucky futures...

Yea that was one that didn't really fit the pattern BUT... Preseason #1 and top future to win it all was North Carolina. So it's another example of the preseason favorite not winning it all

[MCherry281]

What's the Spurs/Heat line going to be? I seriously don't know who will be favored. I know Spurs are hot but it's almost impossible to see Miami being labeled the dog with their public perception. Straight pick'em?

[thechaoz]

Spurs are hot... Thought okc in seven.. Still possible but obviously okc has to get both at home or it's done

[PAYTON20]

What's the Spurs/Heat line going to be? I seriously don't know who will be favored. I know Spurs are hot but it's almost impossible to see Miami being labeled the dog with their public perception. Straight pick'em?

I think it will be close to even.

Spurs could be a slight favorite with Bosh's injury concerns.

Spurs -130?

[Gamble32jn]

Spurs will win it all unless OKC gets back to playing like they normally do and magically beat the spurs. I am hoping OKC wins it all but its very dim right now.

[Roadtrip635]

Spurs will win it all unless OKC gets back to playing like they normally do and magically beat the spurs. I am hoping OKC wins it all but its very dim right now.

They are playing like they normally do against the Spurs, they are 1-9 against the Spurs in their last 10 meetings.

[InTheDrink]

The op has zero to do with why the spurs will beat okc and heat/boston

[Sunde91]

Spurs snuck up on everyone as the non-popular bet being #1 overall with the 3rd shortest odds to win it at the start of the playoffs

and this is a team comparable to wild card teams who got hot late like 2010 Packers and Cardinals last year

and we get this insight with Spurs 6 wins away from winning it

Oh


Ohhhhhhhhh

[PAYTON20]

Take it how you want there is a definite pattern here.

InTheDrink and Sunde go ahead and post your Spurs NBA champs futures you made before the season

[Sunde91]

no pattern at all that matches the Spurs

Again, Spurs were the #1 overall, 3rd shortest odds to win it. They snuck up on nobody. Nobody would be shocked to see them win

every single on of your examples to parallel spurs can be debunked

SF Giants came from nowhere with 0 history or precedent of winning. Spurs have a little history and a culture of winning eh
Cards got hot and barely made playoffs as a wild card after they were dead and buried mid season. Really similar to #1 Spurs
Vancouver = Spurs right now in every possible way as one of the elite teams, yet Spurs are supposed to be the underdog Bruins?
Packers barely made playoffs as a Wild Card
Giants buried Vegas in futures you must be kidding http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/sp...iants-win.html
Mavs were being called to get knocked out the 1st round last year, then crushed by LA, and again by Miami. Compared to #1 10-0 Spurs

all of this and then you make this with Spurs at the peak of their dominance. Everyone makes bad threads, just let it die

[therushishere]

Spurs were +2000 around the all-star break

[Pauulzcappin]

Took spurs at +1466, they were like the 6th or 7th fav at the time.

[raydog]

hopefully the officiating will be fair... these 1st 2 games in miami have been the biggest home court fukk jobs of the playoffs in a while...absolute horrible how 1 sided these games are being called, especially game 1...everyone in the world saw how bad it was...i do like listening to the different shows the days after though ... yesterday was funny as hell

[jjgold]

Why play finals??

Heat or Boston have zero chance of winning

[rickbo528]

hopefully the officiating will be fair... these 1st 2 games in miami have been the biggest home court fukk jobs of the playoffs in a while...absolute horrible how 1 sided these games are being called, especially game 1...everyone in the world saw how bad it was...i do like listening to the different shows the days after though ... yesterday was funny as hell

"Hopefully the officiating will be fair".... Thats asking a lot from Stern and his incompetent zebras. League will do everything possible to keep Miami in this.

[pepero428]

might not be as easy

its spurs vs. heat + refs

[GamblerSpirit]

They are playing like they normally do against the Spurs, they are 1-9 against the Spurs in their last 10 meetings.

and the Spurs are veterans that been there and done that. (in comparison to the playoffs edge, too).

[jetsjets1028]

god i hope so as i hate both teams in east.. celts a lot more so i so badly want spurs to beat whoever comes out of the east

[Balco10]

Spurs are a f*cking lock to win it all!
The Heat w/o Bosh are very overmatched.
Celtics had this game tonight, but choked.
That was sad to see as I love to see the
Celtics get one more chance.

[PAYTON20]

Took spurs at +1466, they were like the 6th or 7th fav at the time.

Point right here Sunde. Thanks PaulZ- and great bet by the way!

You're going too in depth with the comparisons. Point being that the top favorites rarely come thru to win the championship.

It makes even more sense when facing the Miami Heat who hands down have the most money riding on them to be NBA champs in futures bets

Thread should probably be titled "Why the Heat WON'T win the Title"

[seaborneq]

Not happening.