The NBA is back, officially. After cutting its regular season short in light of the pandemic, fans have been filled with doubt about how, and when, things will play out. But after a long time of speculation, we finally have a date. The NBA returns July 31 in Florida.

However, the games won’t be like they used to. The NBA, too, has its fair share of the new normal. Instead of pushing through with its discontinued regular season, the series will adapt a modified format that includes the 22 teams involved in the playoffs.

That said, it’s time to see who’s - and who’s not - in the best shape to win the ‘new season’. Here are some of the 2020 NBA futures betting odds you might want to check out.

Favored Teams

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks were on a roll even before the NBA got shut down, and it seems that they still got that strong momentum even after three months of no play. They previously placed number 1 on the ranks, riding on a 53-12 record, which already says a lot about their skillset. Although MVP hopeful Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a knee injury a few games before the lockdown, he should be in shape to be back in the court by now.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have a lot riding on this, especially since they placed themselves in a strong 9-1 position in the last ten games. While there’s a little bit of controversy surrounding the team after some players’ negative remarks about the season comeback, most sportsbooks are still confident about their play, as reflected in the NBA futures odds for 2020. And it helps that the main man, LeBron James, is countering that energy with good talk about setting personal shenanigans aside and focusing on the current situation.

Underdogs with Potential

Toronto Raptors

The 2019-2020 season was quite the roller coaster ride for the Toronto Raptors, having dealt with a lot of challenges that spanned a year. However, the Raptors seem unfazed, as they kept their sleeper spot intact among the NBA futures odds for 2020. For one, all their players are healthy and injury-free. They’ve also been playing relatively well in the last matches, having entered the top 10 rankings in defensive and offensive performance. All they need is to amp up that energy to possibly breach the finals and potentially win the trophy.