posted June 19, 2008 at 14:19 in NBA Articles

The Boston Celtics have gone from the outhouse to the penthouse. Will the Chicago Bulls follow in their footsteps? Adding Derrick Rose would be a good start, and that’s exactly what the NBA betting odds expect will happen next week at the 2008 Draft.

Rose is a –500 sports betting favorite on the futures market to go No. 1 overall when the league’s movers and shakers gather June 26 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Bulls won the lottery despite finishing in 11th place in the Eastern Conference at 33-49 (36-46 against the spread), a better record than eight other teams in the NBA. The top two picks in the draft are expected to be Rose and Michael Beasley; Chicago needs a point guard more than a forward, and Rose is coming off a very successful freshman season with the Memphis Tigers.

Beasley is the second favorite to go No. 1 at +250. The Bulls haven’t been completely satisfied with the development of Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah on the frontline, but there are concerns about Beasley’s work ethic, and he measured at 6-foot-8 at the pre-draft camp. That’s two inches shorter than he was listed at when playing his first and only season with the Kansas State Wildcats.

These two blue-chip prospects are the Greg Oden and Kevin Durant of the 2008 Draft. But this is also a very deep class filled with even more “one and done” players. Kevin Love, for example, comes out of UCLA with a skill set that closely matches former Bruins great Bill Walton. But he’s tabbed to fall at least to No. 5, where the Memphis Grizzlies need a center after dealing Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers. Love is +275 to be drafted fifth overall; you can also get him at +400 to go No. 9 to the Charlotte Bobcats, in case Memphis trades up to get the No. 2 pick and the Miami Heat prefer someone else in the fifth spot.

The possibility that Memphis will trade up makes betting on the 3-4-5 picks (in that order) a tough task. The “field” is the favorite at –300 with Love’s name not involved in any of the offered triplets. The combination of Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayless and O.J. Mayo is pegged at +300, although Mayo is not likely to fall any farther than the Seattle Supersonics at No. 4. The Supes would welcome the former USC frosh as an instant upgrade over Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson.

Other NBA odds are available for the 2008 Draft; check in early and often for the latest prices.

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