The 2021-22 NBA season was supposed to be dominated by teams from the state of California, but that hasn’t been the case up to this point. The Golden State Warriors are the best team in the NBA through Christmas, but the LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers haven’t done their part.
Golden State is clearly in the mix to win the NBA Championship this season, with odds set at +600 entering 2022. The Warriors have done it all without Klay Thompson in the lineup, but he is set to return at some point in January.
The odds for the Los Angeles Lakers to win the title have fallen all the way down to +1100 after they were one of the favorites to begin the year. Los Angeles has been dealing with plenty of injuries, but they also haven’t lived up to the hype.
The LA Clippers have been even worse, and their title odds are as low as +2200. At this point, it’s going to be a huge upset to see the Clippers even be a threat once the Western Conference playoffs begin.
Suns Favored in the Pacific
All four teams from the state of California compete in the Pacific Division, including the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento is not going to factor into the playoff race unless they go on a massive run to begin
the 2022 calendar year.
It’s actually the Phoenix Suns that are the betting favorites to win the Pacific Division this season with odds set at -125. Golden State is keeping the heat on at -115, and it’s starting to shape up into a two-team race for that title.
The other teams to keep an eye on in the Western Conference are the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, and Dallas Mavericks.
Nets/Bucks In the Mix
While the Western Conference has been dominant over the past two decades, the Eastern Conference currently holds the NBA title belt. The Milwaukee Bucks came out of nowhere to win the NBA
championship a season ago, and they are going to be in the mix yet again.
It’s actually the Brooklyn Nets that are the current betting favorites to win the NBA Championship at +260. Brooklyn has been playing without Kyrie Irving all season long, but his return would provide a massive boost to the Nets’ title chances.
The Milwaukee Bucks are having a solid season as well, and they are listed at +700 to come away with the title.
Curry Running Away With MVP?
One of the biggest reasons that the Golden State Warriors are one of the favorites to win the NBA Championship has been the play of Stephen Curry. Curry has had one of the best careers in NBA history,
but this might be his best performance of all time.
Curry is listed at +115 to win the MVP this season, and it appears as if he is starting to break away from the pack. Kevin Durant (+260) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (+1000) are keeping the pressure on, but the Golden State guard just continues to put up amazing stats.
