Several surprises have marked the start of the 2022-23 NBA regular season. The top record in the Western Conference does not belong to Phoenix or to Golden State. Instead, it belongs to the Utah Jazz. In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers should have started 9-1, but they blew a 13-point lead over the Clippers in the last five minutes of regulation. The Clippers will be even more dangerous when Kawhi Leonard returns. The Atlanta Hawks were able to beat previously unbeaten Milwaukee without star point guard Trae Young. Dallas has not had an MVP since Dirk Nowitzki, but Luka Doncic could end that drought, as he has put up at least 30 points in the first nine games of the season, an historic scoring pace. Let’s take a look at each team’s NBA betting odds to win their respective conference titles and discuss some early contenders in some greater depth.
NBA News: Early Conference Championship Predictions
Eastern Conference
Milwaukee Bucks +230
Boston Celtics +240
Brooklyn Nets +550
Cleveland Cavaliers +1000
Philadelphia 76ers +1000
Miami Heat +1000
Toronto Raptors +2000
Atlanta Hawks +2700
Chicago Bulls +4600
N.Y. Knicks +9000
Washington Wizards +16000
Charlotte Hornets +24000
Indiana Pacers +37000
Orlando Magic +37000
Detroit Pistons +49000
Western Conference
Golden State Warriors+280
L.A. Clippers +280
Phoenix Suns +600
Denver Nuggets +750
L.A. Lakers +1000
Memphis Grizzlies +1000
Dallas Mavericks +1200
Minnesota Timberwolves +1400
New Orleans Pelicans +1400
Portland Trail Blazers +4000
Utah Jazz +25000
Oklahoma City Thunder +25000
Sacramento Kings +25000
Houston Rockets +25000
San Antonio Spurs +25000
Milwaukee is dominating the NBA with defense right now, leading the league in fewest points permitted. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez provide outstanding rim defense, but the Bucks’ perimeter defense, a weakness a year ago, is stronger. The Bucks permitted 40.6 three-point attempts per game last year, an NBA record. This year, so far, they allow just 31.6 per game.
Games like the loss to the Clippers will happen over the course of a season, but Cleveland has the resilience to bounce back. Evan Mobley did go off for 26 points, a season high, in the loss, but the addition of Donovan Mitchell to the team provides an elite scorer who also has a team-first mentality – a rarity in this day and age, as the implosion of the Lakers is showing us.
Phoenix might have started out 7-3, but as we saw in last year’s postseason, there is a soft element within the Suns that, at least as far as we’ve seen, will let them down when it comes to a deep playoff run. Also, they have a hole at small forward. Jae Crowder left the team ahead of training camp, and Cam Johnson, the presumptive starter, went down with a torn right meniscus, which will keep him on the shelf until mid-December.
Boston is getting terrific production out of Sam Hauser. He has made it into the rotation after Danilo Gallinari went down to injury. Hauser is knocking down 54% of his three-balls and can play solid enough defense to get real minutes.
Utah is giving Jordan Clarkson starter minutes for the first time since he was in the 2015-16 season. He is averaging 5.2 assists per game, showing that he can be a playmaker, and he is scoring 18.3 points per game, just below his production from 2020-21, when he won Sixth Man of the Year.
Denver is getting solid offense from Nikola Jokic (21.3 points per game, 10 assists per game) and Jamal Murray (19.3 points per game). However, the Nuggets give up way too much on defense right now to be a serious contender.
Memphis is getting 24 points per game out of Desmond Bane, who has become one of the top #2 offensive options in the sport right now. He can create off the dribble, and he is shooting 45.9% from behind the arc, averaging 8.5 three-point attempts per game. Off the dribble, he is 25 of 48 from downtown.
NBA Betting Odds
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