Thanks to props, you can bet on anything and everything NBA-related — including which coach will be out of a job next. Now halfway into the regular season, this prop could soon pay out. Here’s the bet you should make before an NBA franchise pulls the trigger!
To say the seat is getting red hot for several NBA head coaches would be an understatement. Matter of fact, online bookies like BetUS have already pegged the odds for the next NBA coach to be fired:
| Head Coach |  |
|---|---|
| Luke Walton | +150 |
| Dwane Casey | +250 |
| Steve Clifford | +500 |
| Michael Malone | +1000 |
| Scott Brooks | +1200 |
| JB Bickerstaff | +1500 |
We're nearly at the midpoint of the NBA season, which if history is any indication, is prime time for someone to be axed. For bettors, that means the time is now to bet this prop before the outcome is decided. If you're undecided on what exactly to wager on, we're here to guide you in the right direction.
We've already seen a pair of head coaches canned this season — all within a week of each other. Ryan Saunders was the first on the chopping block, courtesy of Minnesota. Then most recently, Atlanta sent Lloyd Pierce packing.
Two head coaches — effectively 6.6 percent of all the top positions available in the NBA — already being let go might seem like a lot, but it's right on-trend with recent NBA seasons. And if that trend plays out again, another coach will soon be out of a job.
Here's a count of the head coaches that were fired mid-season each of the past five seasons (from oldest to most recent; excluding the current year): 5, 0, 3, 3, and 3. That averages out to 3.6 coaches fired amid the regular season.
In betting, the best you can do is spot a trend and then ride it. Given this data, all signs point to a third coach "going fishing" as the NBA on TNT crew would say. And like we said earlier, bettors need to act fast before it happens.
You saw the gambling odds, the overwhelming favorites to be fired next are Luke Walton and Dwane Casey. Let's compare each's resume to see the level of ineptness we're dealing with here.
Casey has the Pistons dead-last in the Eastern Conference with a measly nine wins. Walton, on the other hand, has a 13-win Kings team ranked third-to-last in the West. Recent performance is only one factor, though, we must also see who's on the "shorter leash" per se.
Detroit is now in year three with Casey. While Pistons made the playoffs in Casey's first season at the helm, they've progressively regressed ever since. Walton is only in his sophomore campaign with the Kings after a so-so 37-45 mark in the first year.
Thus far, Casey has more things going against him. His team is the worse of the two and he's been around an entire longer season than Walton. But there's one more factor worth weighing — the trigger fingers of the franchise.
Few franchises have been more fire-happy than the Kings. Here's a crazy, but true, stat: since Rick Adelman (the franchise's all-time-best coach) departed in 2008, Sacramento has cycled through 10 different coaches. Seven of those lasted under two years, which isn't a promising sign for Walton.
During the same stretch, the Pistons have at least shown more patience. They've gone through seven coaches —only three of which were booted within two seasons.
It doesn't help that both teams hired new general managers in 2020. General managers, might we add, that didn't originally hire either Casey or Walton, and would love nothing more to start fresh with their "own guy."
We could see a scenario where both Casey and Walton end up jobless within the next month. But of course, this prop isn't about that. It's about which gets fired first. In that scenario, we're betting against Walton.
What ultimately dooms Walton over Casey faster is the expectations. Many had the Kings as an "up and coming" team, thanks to a wealth of young talent that includes Marvin Bagley, De'Aaron Fox, and Buddy Hield. For all intents and purposes, Walton has failed to deliver — just as he did in his previous stop with the Lakers.
At the very least, the Pistons weren't expected to take the "next step" this year. At one point in the season, it was led by a pair of aging stars — Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin. Losing with old stars doesn't wear an organization's patience thin nearly as much as losing with young studs in the prime of their careers.
So there you have it, take Walton in this prop bet. Kings are accustomed to cutting their coaching losses early and Walton has given them every excuse to do the same in 2021.
Betting pick to make: Luke Walton (+150)
That's all we have to say about NBA coach firings, but basketball betting doesn't end there. For more NBA odds, you can check out one of the sportsbooks below. Wagers for this prop and a host of other NBA bets can be locked and loaded at any one of the betting sites.
Better yet, each of these bookmakers also offers a sign-up bonus that, if redeemed, can net you $1000 in free play, give or take. If that sounds too good to be true, it's surprisingly not. Current promotions can be seen in the table below. Pair a sign-up bonus with our betting advice, and well, you're on your way to a huge payday!
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