If an NBA betting player would have told me that the Miami Heat would be above .500 almost 60 games into the season back before the Beijing Olympics, I would have ordered them to seek therapy.  But that was before I watched Dwayne Wade, finally healthy, absolutely tear apart the competition and help lead the United States to a gold medal as the sportsbook favorites.

Sportsbook odds would have to consider D-Wade as one of the top MVP candidates, along with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. As of March 3, D-Wade is leading the league in scoring with 29.2 points, along with 7.4 assists, 5.0 boards, 2.22 steals and 1.42 blocks, which is phenomenal for a guard. But the big thing is that he has his explosiveness back. When he led the Heat to the title in 2006, Wade got to the hoop any time he wanted (the foul calls are another post), and he also had this when he made many March Madness betting players angry by carrying underdog Marquette to the Final Four in 2003. After battling various injuries from 2006 to 2008, it appears as though the Heat are players again, and they can thank their captain. However, Pat Riley will have to show D-Wade that he’s willing to improve the team before the 2010 sweepstakes, in which Wade will be a major figure. If so, the Heat will automatically become one of the NBA betting favorites.