We’re making our way into the third week of the 2020-21 NBA regular season, which will run 72 games instead of the customary 82, and we’re already seeing some things we expected (the Lakers leading the West standings, with the Clippers hanging on close behind) and some things we did not (such as the Suns sitting in second place in the West, the Bucks struggling to stay at .500, or the 76ers atop the East standings). Blowouts are way up this season, as are comebacks from deficits of at least 20 points, with the short off-season, as well as the fact that many of the league’s teams had not played a game since March, playing havoc on preparation and early execution.
Even so, we have some early NBA betting odds on the teams winning a title this season, as well as our thoughts on some of the contenders.
NBA News: Way-too-Early Championship Odds
| Los Angeles Lakers | +230 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +500 |
| Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks | +550 |
| Boston Celtics, Miami Heat | +1500 |
| Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers | +2000 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +2200 |
| Toronto Raptors | +2500 |
| Utah Jazz | +3500 |
| Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers | +4000 |
| Houston Rockets | +5000 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +7000 |
| Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers | +10000 |
| Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs | +15000 |
| Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings | +20000 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder | +50000 |
For the Lakers, LeBron James is not playing as many minutes per game so far this year, which is a good thing, as he is reaching that point where he needs to stay fresh. Newcomers Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder are blending well with the team, which makes another title run not just possible, but likely.
The Clippers appear motivated to knock off their Staples Center roommates, and Paul George is leading the charge, averaging 25.1 points per game this season after not playing well in the bubble. The Clippers beat the Lakers in the season opener, but can they do a better job in the postseason this year?
Philadelphia has benefited from an easy start to the schedule, but you still have to go out and beat the teams you see, and not all of the contenders have taken care of business against bottom-feeders in the early going. Seth Curry, who came from Dallas in the offseason, is shooting almost 60 percent from downtown, and Joel Embiid looks energized and motivated, dominating the paint so far this season. But can he stay healthy?
Milwaukee lost a lot of depth in the offseason and did not do much to remedy the problem. Giannis Antetokounmpo is having some issues adjusting to the new players around him, “only” averaging 26.1 points per game, and the Bucks are dropping regular season games. They showed some cracks last season, and their roster does not look as ready to deal with adversity this year.
Phoenix leads the NBA in fewest points permitted per game. Defense is kind of a throwback concept in the modern NBA, but the Suns are shutting teams down, and they are winning games left and right, knocking off New Orleans, Utah and Denver in succession. That’s a recipe for contending in the West.
Boston also gave up some depth, so beyond Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, there’s not a lot other than Kemba Walker, when he’s healthy. However, Rookie Payton Pritchard has been a find — but the Celtics need Jeff Teague and Marcus Smart to stay healthy.
Miami is an example of the tumultuous start to the season, losing by 47 to Milwaukee one night and then beating them by nine the next night. Tyler Herro does not belong in the starting lineup (with 26 points in his last three games combined), and Jimmy Butler’s ankle still is not quite right.
NBA Betting Odds
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