NBA 2021 Regular Season Major Upsets So Far

With the NBA season at the midway point, we have seen some upsets and surprises happen already, with more to come in the second half and through the playoffs. Surprises are all part and parcel of the game, but it’s still a little jarring when they come along. To this point in the season, the biggest upsets have been some of the trades that we have seen, as well as the unexpected performances of a few teams as well. There are likely to be more coming now that the trade deadline is upon us, but will those surprise teams look and play the same in the second half of the season? That remains to be seen. For the time being, let’s take a look at some of the upsets so far in the regular season so you can continue betting against their NBA odds.

NBA Major Upsets up to the Moment in the Season

One of the first upsets of the season came before the opening tip of the year, with James Harden making it clear that he did not want to be playing in Houston anymore. Harden looked out of shape and disinterested through the opening few games of the season, but that all changed when the Rockets swung a deal to send him to the Brooklyn Nets. He has been on fire since making the move and the Nets are now very much among the favorites to go out and win it all this year.

We have a couple of upsets taking place in the Western Conference at the midway point of the season. We all thought that the defending champion LA Lakers and the LA Clippers would be duking it out for top spot in the West, but neither of them are even in the top two right now. The Utah Jazz have been the surprise team of the first half, with the Phoenix Suns right on their heels. Both of those teams have been outstanding, but the Jazz were beginning to wobble a little heading into the All-Star Break. Perhaps some time off will have helped them recharge their batteries.

There is also a bit of an upset going on in the Eastern Conference, with the Milwaukee Bucks currently wallowing down in the #3 spot, albeit just 2 games out of first. We have become accustomed to seeing the Bucks dominate the regular season over the past couple of years, so it is certainly surprising to see them sitting anywhere but on top of the Eastern Conference standings. They have been streaky through the first half, so watch out for this team if they put it all together and get on a roll.

If we are going to talk about upsets, we need to talk about teams that are underperforming this season. The Toronto Raptors are down in 8^th in the East, and while that is certainly disappointing and a little surprising, we do need to remember that they are in the weird position of playing in Tampa instead of at home. The Dallas Mavericks have also been a disappointment, but they have had injury issues to deal with. It will be interesting to see if these teams can have more success in the second half.

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?