NBA betting handicappers are keeping a close eye on the Denver Nuggets as they work to bring about a trade of superstar forward Carmelo Anthony before opening night.
Transformed the Franchise
The Nuggets have been negotiating hard with the New Jersey Nets to work out a trade for the disgruntled Anthony, who arrived as the savior of the franchise six years ago. Anthony made Denver into a perennial playoff contender and into a Western Conference finalist in 2009. The Nuggets were an afterthought in the city of Denver before Anthony arrived and played before vast quantities of empty seats but they had recently overtaken the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche as the winter sports team of choice in the Denver area.
The Nuggets also became one of the most popular teams to make a NBA bet with on the board although that popularity eventually hurt their overall value as they finished in the red last year with just 35 payouts in 82 games despite a record of 53-29 straight up.
Troubling Times
Denver owner Stan Kroenke recently purchased the NFL’s St. Louis Rams and had to have his son Josh take over control of the team. With Anthony wanting out, but Denver also needing top shelf compensation in return the 2010-11 season is up in arms and gamblers at Sbgglobal.com will see little to go with regarding the prospects of the Nuggets as a contender or a betting asset. As for the franchise and its future in Denver it will likely again be the fourth choice for entertainment dollars behind King Broncos of the NFL, the baseball Rockies, and hockey’s Avalanche.
Running a Stall?
While Anthony wants to return to his roots in the east coast, (he was a college star at Syracuse), the Nuggets are not going to make it easy for him and are demanding a price that so far nobody in the NBA is willing to pay. Despite that the conventional wisdom in NBA betting circles is that Anthony will be dealt to New Jersey before the season begins.
A Franchise in Transition
Last year the Nuggets faced the cancer treatments of head coach George Karl, who missed the NBA bet post season in recovery. Karl is expected back but without Anthony the playoff prospects are not very high, or are enthusiasms for the season ahead.