The calendar may have changed to 2022, but the Brooklyn Nets are still the consensus favorite to win the 2022 NBA championship at +245 odds, according to a recent futures update by DraftKings. The Golden State Warriors are right behind them at +550 odds, with the defending-champion Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns both at +750 odds to win the title.
The red-hot Chicago Bulls recently took over as the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, yet they are only +3000 odds to win the title. Da Bulls are only 10th on the NBA futures board.
| 2022 NBA Championship Odds |
| Now | Preseason | |
| Brooklyn Nets | +245 | +200 |
| Golden State Warriors | +550 | +1100 |
| Phoenix Suns | +750 | +1700 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +750 | +900 |
| LA Lakers | +1200 | +400 |
| Utah Jazz | +1100 | +1500 |
| Miami Heat | +1400 | +2500 |
| LA Clippers | +2200 | +1700 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +2200 | +2000 |
| Chicago Bulls | +3000 | +8000 |
| Denver Nuggets | +3000 | +2000 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +4000 | +2800 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +5000 | +4500 |
| Boston Celtics | +6000 | +4000 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +7000 | +10000 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | +12000 | +8000 |
| New York Knicks | +15000 | +10000 |
| Charlotte Hornets | +18000 | +18000 |
| Washington Wizards | +18000 | +25000 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +18000 | +100000 |
| Toronto Raptors | +20000 | +250000 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +20000 | +25000 |
| Indiana Pacers | +30000 | +10000 |
The Phoenix Suns surprised everyone last season with a berth in the NBA Finals. Now, they’re proving to all of their haters that last season wasn’t a fluke by posting a 29-8 record, which is second-best in the league behind the Warriors.
The Return of Kyrie and Klay
The Golden State Warriors are the top team in the Western Conference and have the best record in the NBA at 29-7. They’re also getting Klay Thompson back in the lineup this weekend, who hasn’t played a game since the 2019 NBA playoffs. The Warriors were +1100 odds in the preseason, but have since rocketed up to second place on the NBA futures board at +550 odds to win the championship.
The Brooklyn Nets (23-12) are the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, and have played the entire season without Kyrie Irving. The Nets are finally getting the unvaccinated Irving back in the lineup after they determined he can play road games. Even without Irving, the Nets have been the public betting favorite all season. The Nets were +200 odds to win the championship in the preseason, and still lead the pack at +245 odds right now.
Lakers trade rumors: Westbrook and LeBron?
The Lakers are a sh-t show. There have been rumors in Tinsel Town for the past couple of weeks that Russell Westbrook and even LeBron James could get traded. The Westbrook experiment blew up in everyone’s face, which everyone except the Lakers anticipated would happen. Now that the Cleveland Cavs are good, LeBron could return to a team he spurned twice before. But let’s be honest, the young Cavs have a much stronger supporting cast than does the current version of the Lakers.
The Lakers (20-19) were +400 odds to win the title in the preseason, but they’ve struggled to stay above .500. The Lakers occupy the #7 spot in the Western Conference playoff seeding, but they need a shot in the arm if they expect they can be a legit contender in the postseason.
Long shots: See ya in 2023
It’s the first week of January and several teams are already out of contention. That list includes some of the same familiar faces from last season, including the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Detroit Pistons.
| 2022 NBA Championship Odds – Long Shots |
| Now | Preseason | |
| Sacramento Kings | +60000 | +25000 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +60000 | +11000 |
| San Antonio Spurs | +60000 | +35000 |
| Orlando Magic | +100000 | +100000 |
| Houston Rockets | +100000 | +100000 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +100000 | +100000 |
| Detroit Pistons | +100000 | +100000 |
Bookies have no faith in the four bottom feeders. They’ve slated the Magic, Rockets, Thunder, and Pistons at +100000 odds to win the title, which is just a polite way of saying they’re about to be taken off the board.
