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After an extended break and lots of off-court negotiations, the shortened 2011-12 NBA season finally gets under way on Christmas day. We take a look ahead at what to expect.

It feels like a long time has passed since Dirk Nowitzki led his Dallas Mavericks to their first ever NBA Championship. As disputes over a collective bargaining agreement continued, the new season was delayed further, players headed overseas to stay in shape and questions were raised about whether the season would actually take place. Now that is all behind us and we can finally start looking forward to the latest chapter in the NBA story, take a look at the basketball betting and look ahead at some of the teams to watch for 2011-12 ...

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs start the season in unfamiliar territory, having just claimed the first championship in the history of the franchise. Inspired by their giant German, Dallas upset the basketball odds and came back to record a 4-2 series win. They have the talent and desire to repeat that success but whether they will achieve it is another question altogether and would arguably be an even more impressive feat than last year.

Miami Heat

So much talk, so much expectation, but in the end they fell short. 2010-11 was supposed to be the Heat’s season after the high-profile signings of LeBron James and Chris Bosh added to an already talented squad. After last season’s finals failure, nothing short of a championship win will be good enough for the Heat in 2011-12 and, once again, the chance of their success will likely come down to the performances of the "Three Kings".

Los Angeles Lakers

After three consecutive trips to the NBA finals, Kobe and co suffered the embarrassment of a second round exit last season. That clean sweep at the hands of the eventual champions will have hurt the aging Lakers and this season will be all about proving that the playoff defeat was just a blip and not a sign of things to come. With talent like Kobe and Pau Gasol at their disposal, many people are betting that they will be in contention for the playoffs but whether they will be a force in the postseason remains to be seen.

Chicago Bulls

Last season the Bulls recorded an impressive 62 victories in the regular season and progressed all the way to the conference finals before a 4-1 series defeat at the hands of the Heat put an end to their season. With 2011 MVP Derrick Rose in their ranks and coach of the year Tom Thibodeau pulling the strings another playoffs appearance is the minimum expectation and an improvement on last season will be the main aim.

Boston Celtics

The 2008 champions have dominated the Atlantic division in recent years, having comfortably won the division in each of the last four seasons. With the "Big Three" leading the way once again, fans will expect more of the same and another assault on the playoffs is predicted by many. However, the reduced schedule combined with improvements in their rivals, most notably the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets, means they will have a much tougher time maintaining the dominance of their division this season.

Oklahoma City Thunder

After a few years as the upcoming prospect, the Thunder are now fully blown challengers. Last year’s run to the conference finals certainly showed what the men from Oklahoma are capable of and leaves many wondering what will happen next. With a young and talented team, including forward Kevin Durant, there is every chance that the young legs can spring Oklahoma to the next level in this short and action-packed season.

With a further 24 teams in the race and determined to take the big prize. It promises to be another spectacular season with plenty of great sports betting available. No matter what happens, you can place all your basketball bets right here at Titan Bet both before and during games with our in play betting.