Betting on the Jazz
April 2, 2012; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) shoots the ball over Utah Jazz forwardcenter Derrick Favors (15) and shooting guard Gordon Hayward (20) during the fourth quarter of the game at the Rose Garden. The Jazz won the game 102-97. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
11:10 A.M.—I’ve done my fair share of sports betting (I know, right?), and during these dull summer months where it seems the NBA-verse lulls to a petty whimper, I thought this would be an unusually good article to post. Plus, the inspiration for this came from a recent college research assignment that went hand in hand. Hold on to your hats, Jazz fans—and Utah in general—because we’ll be covering an exciting aspect of sports rarely touched in the Beehive State: betting. This is more or less an exposition—
Sports betting can encompass a broad range of bets. Often, novice ‘bettors’ do not realize this and instead focus on placing bets which merely predict the basketball team that will win the game. While this can be exciting and profitable, you simply cannot make this bet in the offseason. During the offseason, many sportsbooks will instead offer a type of bet known as a futures bet (awesome). For fans of the Utah Jazz, they will more than likely select their preferred team to possibly win the championship at the conclusion of next season.
Futures betting is obviously risky since the bet is made when no games are scheduled. Instead, other aspects of NBA teams can be examined. How the Utah Jazz performed in the previous season has a heavy influence on the odds established by oddsmakers for futures betting. The team finished 9th place outside the playoffs in the West. While this has an important impact on the odds, other information is considered. Player injuries, roster changes, and even staffing changes (Dennis Lindsey, Brad Jones, Alex Jensen for example) can all figure into the futures odds set forth by sportsbooks.
Using one of the most popular sportsbooks for reference, known as JackpotCity, currently the odds are set at 100 to 1 for the Jazz. This means for every $1 wagered on the Jazz, $100 can be won should they win the championship in 2014. (I wouldn’t personally recommend the Jazz as a championship contender, but hey! And in no way, shape or form am I recommending you do any betting, I’m just giving Jazz fans an entertaining way to cure offseason withdrawals!).
Futures betting can make some basketball fans a bit impatient. After all, one has to wait many months to see their bet blossom into fruition. Online sportsbooks such as our previous example, JackpotCity, are a place that can provide some temporary entertainment in the offseason. Another source of offseason entertainment I’ve found is that they feature virtual sports related slot machines including the game “Shoot”. Named after the classic magazine, this game showcases some of the best basketball players throughout history. Many find the nostalgic game quite attention grabbing. With five reels, this slot machine provides a total of 50 paylines, a massive amount when compared to other slot machines, these extra paylines also massively increase potential winnings when all are bet upon.
All in all, if you’re looking for some offseason entertainment, betting has its risks (don’t go too crazy) but it is extremely awesome. We can all hope to be pleasantly surprised by the young core of Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks, and even Trey Burke. How many wins can that team generate next season? You’ll have to decide, and that’s what makes it all worthwhile. Most analysts are down on the Jazz. Why? They have a young, star-studded team. I’ll be betting on the Jazz.
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Broox Anderson
Staff Writer
The J Notes | A Utah Jazz Fan Site
Twitter: @BrooxAnderson
Facebook: The J Notes
Email: brxanderson@gmail.com
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