2012-2013 NBA Odds and Picks: Southwest Division Predictions – San Antonio Spurs the Favorite: The Southwest Division was the cream of the crop in terms of depth last season. Three teams made the playoffs, San Antonio tied for the best record in the NBA, and Houston was the only team in the NBA to finish above .500 and miss the playoffs. Meanwhile, the weakest link in the division should be improving after New Orleans landed the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft and had two picks in the top 10. The Southwest Division appears to be one of the toughest around once again in 2012-13, and here is a look at the teams stack up for the upcoming NBA season.
2012-2013 NBA Vegas Odds and Picks: Southwest Division Predictions
1. San Antonio Spurs
Tony Parker is criminally underrated in the hierarchy of point guards, and while Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili play a few less minutes each year, Parker’s numbers keep improving. His follow-up to a career year should be fun watch. Meanwhile, young players Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard and bench players Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson should continue to contribute. With their three stars and key role players back in the mix in 2012-13, the Spurs could win the most games in Western Conference for the third year in a row and should definitely win the Southwest Division.
2. Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis has just about everything a team needs to compete for a championship. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph comprise one of the better frontcourts, Mike Conley Jr. is continually improving at the point guard spot, and Rudy Gay is a legitimate go-to scorer. If offseason addition Jerryd Bayless and rookie Tony Wroten can provide some punch from the perimeter, the Grizzlies could have all the pieces in place to challenge for the division crown.
3. Dallas Mavericks
Missing out on Deron Williams and Dwight Howard and losing Jason Kidd and Jason Terry could have been a deathblow, but Dallas made the best of a bad situation. The Mavericks bolstered their frontcourt by adding veterans Chris Kaman and Elton Brand and got younger in the backcourt by adding Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo. Not to mention that Dirk Nowitzki is still a stud. Dallas also did most of deals in cap-friendly fashion, leaving the franchise with plenty of space to go after free agents after the season. The Mavericks are in great shape long term, and in the meantime, they are still a playoff team.
4. New Orleans Hornets
No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis and fellow first-round pick Austin Rivers are going to be the cornerstones of the franchise, but the Hornets made some great offseason roster additions outside of their draft picks. New Orleans resigned Eric Gordon, and he is a great young scorer in his own right. Meanwhile, Ryan Anderson provides excellent perimeter firepower, especially for a big man, and Robin Lopez is a solid defensive presence in the paint. Yes, Davis and Rivers are going to need time to develop, but New Orleans has laid the groundwork for something special. However, it won’t happen overnight.
5. Houston Rockets
After just missing out on the playoffs the last two years, Houston made some drastic changes. The Rockets now have a completely overhauled and somewhat mismatched roster. Jeremy Lin was given a hefty contract to take over the point guard role, and Omer Asik was signed to be the starting center. Rookie Jeremy Lamb should carve out an immediate starting role in the backcourt, but the Rockets have six forwards on their roster all in their first or second year in the league. Consistency is going to be tough to come by until some type of set rotation can be created, and while that process occurs, wins are going to be tough to come by.
2012-13 Odds to Win NBA Southwest Division
San Antonio Spurs -175
Memphis Grizzlies +300
Dallas Mavericks +525
Houston Rockets +3500
New Orleans Hornets +5000
| 2 EASY STEPS to BET on 2012-2013 NBA Odds Daily! STEP 1: CLICK HERE to OPEN SBG Global Account STEP 2: Deposit with Credit Card or Deposit by Check and get upto 285% in BONUS money FREE added to your SBG Player Account Funds. |
Get the 2012 NBA vegas odds on NSAwins.com plus visit for 2012 NBA expert picks and updated 2013 NBA Finals Futures Odds.