2012-2013 NBA Odds and Picks: Central Division Predictions – Indiana Pacers the Favorite: For the last two seasons, Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls have controlled the Central Division. In fact, the Bulls won the most games in the NBA in each season. However, an injury to Rose has the division up for grabs in 2012-13. That being said, depth was an issue as just two teams made the playoffs while the rest finished below .500. On the plus side, young stars like Kyrie Irving, Brandon Jennings and Greg Monroe call the Central Division hope and definitely provide some hope for the future. However, having potential and realizing potential are two different things. With that in mind, here is a look at how the division stacks up for the 2012-13 NBA season.
2012-2013 NBA Vegas Odds and Picks: Central Division Predictions
1. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers don’t have a superstar and don’t produce a lot of highlight reel plays, but they do just about everything well. Resigning center Roy Hibbert gives Indiana a presence in the middle that creates matchup issues in the half court. Meanwhile, Danny Granger is still a productive scorer, Paul George is a potential star, and David West is a steady scorer and veteran presence. The addition of point guard D.J. Augustin will provide a little more speed and perimeter firepower to the mix, as well. After giving the Bulls issues in the playoffs two years ago and making the Heat work last postseason, it is the Pacers time to step up and win the Central.
2. Chicago Bulls
For Chicago, the season basically hinges on when former MVP Derrick Rose returns from his knee injury. In the meantime, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich will keep Chicago in contention thanks to stifling defense. Rose is expected to return around the middle of the season, and while that bodes well for the Bulls’ championship hopes, it will likely be too late to yield a division title. With the health of Rose being the primary concern, Chicago will just be looking to secure a playoff spot, even if it is a lower seed than in recent years.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
In terms of backcourt tandems, Milwaukee’s combo of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis can score with the best of them. Outside of those two, forward Ersan Ilyasova is the only other reliable scorer. The rest of Milwaukee’s main contributors are long, defensive-oriented players like Samuel Dalembert, Joel Pryzbilla and rookie John Henson. When Jennings and Ellis are hot, the Bucks will be able to surprise some teams. However, a lack of consistent scoring will likely keep them on the playoff bottle.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
With a ton of young parts in toe, it is now time to see how long it will take for this team to gel. The Cavaliers have an excellent starting point in point guard Kyrie Irving, and after his Rookie of the Year campaign, he has star written all over him. The jury is still out on the rest of the young players, including Tristan Thompson, Tyler Zeller and Dion Waiters. If and how quickly the supporting cast develops will determine whether Cleveland overachieves, but the play of Irving alone will keep the Cavaliers trending upward in 2012-13.
5. Detroit Pistons
By drafting center Andre Drummond in the first round, Detroit officially committed to rebuilding for a few years. Drummond had the best NBA body of any center in the draft, but he is raw offensively. Long-term, he could develop alongside young guard Brandon Knight and fellow big man Greg Monroe to form a strong core. In the short term, the Pistons have a bunch of young players that need to mature and a bunch of mediocre veterans that aren’t part of the team’s future. Detroit is going to take some lumps 2012-13.
2012-13 Odds to Win NBA Central Division
Indiana Pacers -135
Chicago Bulls +120
Milwaukee Bucks +2500
Detroit Pistons +5500
Cleveland Cavaliers +6000
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