Warriors Early Favorites To Win 2022-23 NBA Championship

by Ben Perks June 20th 2022, 9:51 PST

After beating the Boston Celtics to win their seventh title on June 16, Vegas oddsmakers favor Curry and co. to lift the trophy again in 2023. The Celtics are close second favorites, and the Brooklyn Nets currently sit in third.

View the latest 2022-23 NBA championship odds and find out more about the top contenders and dark horses for the title.

NBA Championship 2022-23 Favorites

After an incredible NBA Finals series that was hard to call for long stretches, it’s unsurprising to see Golden State and Boston at the top of the odds table.

The Celtics are a young, well-coached team packed with talent and should be relatively unchanged next season. In many games against the Warriors, they looked the better side, and you could argue that the reasons why they didn’t win the title were self-inflicted. For instance, the constant turnovers let Golden State back into games throughout the series.

The Celtics are a young, well-coached team packed with talent and should be relatively unchanged next season.

Still, you can’t take anything away from the Warriors. The Championship-winning squad has the chemistry, pedigree, and experience that will make them formidable opponents next season. Also, if their top stars like Klay Thompson can stay healthy, they will be even stronger.

NBA betting sites seem to have the top two right but have they overestimated the Brooklyn Nets for the second season in a row? The star-studded Nets team severely underachieved last season.

Still, Vegas oddsmakers believe that a squad with the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons should be a top contender. Admittedly, they have what it takes to win games. However, after buckling under pressure and off-court drama during their last campaign, they don’t have the mentality of a championship-winning team.

Another questionable decision is placing the Clippers at +750 to win the 2022-23 NBA Championship, as their top player Kawhi Leonard will likely be out for the start of the season at least.

Theoretically, the tandem of Leonard and Paul George can make them top contenders in the Western Conference. Yet there’s too much uncertainty surrounding the effectiveness of this strategy to make them a decent futures betting option.

NBA Title Long Shots

These NBA franchises represent great betting value if you’re looking for longer odds.

The Toronto Raptors

Considering the Raptors have an elite squad and NBA Championship-winning coach in Nick Nurse, their opening +6000 odds have raised eyebrows.

Despite the emergence of Scottie Barnes, Vegas oddsmakers think they lack the star quality needed to mount a serious title challenge. Yet Masai Ujiri likes springing surprises and might use OG Anunoby in a big-name trade. If they go down this route, expect sportsbooks to slash their odds.

The New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans’ NBA title hopes rest on the health of Zion Williamson. If he gets back to full fitness, his supporting cast of CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Jonas Valanciunas will make New Orleans a dominant team that could go far in the postseason.

But as legitimate questions surround whether Williamson will ever play again, this is a speculative bet.

Want to learn how to remove the vig (juice), and calculate implied win probability of your NBA bets? Check out our odds calculator page to get the lowdown.

Image credit: Cyrus Saatsaz, CC BY 2.0

Share Share Tweet Share Email