GM Poll Predictions vs. Weekly NBA Expert Picks?

The annual General Managers Survey reveals how managers think things will shake out for the upcoming NBA season. As part of the poll, the NBA publishes the results from last year's poll alongside the actual results. How well do the GMs' basketball predictions hold up against NBA weekly picks from some of the best known sports handicappers who offer NBA betting predictions? Let's take a look.

Which Team Will Win the NBA Finals?

Last year, 74.1% of the GMs surveyed accurately predicted that the Heat would take the Finals. This was widely echoed among the folks that provide NBA expert picks, with a few outliers predicting the Bulls would be the overall winners.

This year's expert NBA pickers are predicting a two-fer for the Heat, which is right in line with the 70% of General Manager predictions of a repeat win for the Heat.

Which Team Will Win the Eastern Conference?

The GMs picked the Heat to win with 97% voting for Miami in the 2011-2012 survey. The lone holdout had to be Miami, since the rules of the survey don't allow a GM to name his own team in any of the questions. If the GMs are right again, look for a repeat, with 97% again voting for the Heat to repeat.
Meanwhile, NBA predictions experts were a bit more divided, with a few big name pickers giving the Eastern Conference to the Bulls in seven games.

Remember, when you get weekly NBA picks from expert handicappers, you can place wagers on more than just the winner of a game, match or series. Use the expert information to help you pick other winning bets and pad your pocket for the season.

Which Team Will Win the Western Conference?

The GMs aren't as good at predicting the Western Conference winners. Last year, only 67% predicted an OKC win in the West. This year, 60% are pushing for a Lakers win, with a mere 36.7% figuring that OKC can do a repeat of their playoff feat from last year.

Once again, the folks who bring you NBA betting picks did a far better job of predicting the outcome of the Western Conference games, with many of them picking OKC to better the Houston Rockets in the Conference finals.

Which Player Will Win the MVP Award?

Don't forget prop bets when you're figuring in your NBA betting picks for the 2012-13 season. They're often easier to figure out and can add a healthy pad to your NBA betting winnings. While a lot of prop bets are focused on the short term, there are a few longer-term bets you can look at as well - MVP and Rookie of the Year awards among them. So how did the GM survey do with NBA predictions concerning the MVP and Rookie of the Year last year?

Not too great, it turns out, with two-thirds of them voting for Kevin Durant instead of the eventual winner, LeBron James. They're looking to rectify their error this year with 66.7% citing James as their pick for MVP for 2012-2013. 
The GMs redeemed themselves with their Rookie pick - 60% accurately predicted that Kyrie Irving would pick up that trophy. This year, the GMs are looking at Anthony Davis for Rookie of the Year.

Make more money with your basketball predictions this year when you subscribe to NBA predictions and weekly NBA expert picks from the top handicappers in the business. Get the predictions for all the games, including the NCAA March Madness games, along with all the information you need to make this your most winning season ever.