The NBA has crossed the halfway mark of the 2021-22 season, resulting in many memorable moments and storylines already. While some teams have had a lot more success than others, most organizations still have hopes of ending the season with an NBA Championship victory.
While that goal is a lot more realistic for some teams compared to others, Bovada’s latest 2021-22 NBA Championship odds have one organization above the rest. As of Jan. 28, the Brooklyn Nets are favored to go on a championship run at +300 odds.
The Nets have been in the thick of the battle for the Eastern Conference throughout the season. While their 29-19 record has them setting in fourth place, they’re only two games back of the Miami Heat (+1200) for the top spot.
One of the key reasons behind Brooklyn’s success has been the play of Kevin Durant. The 12-time NBA All-Star has been pacing the league at a 29.3 point-per-game pace, averaging 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists along the way. Unfortunately, Durant sprained his MCL a few weeks ago and will likely miss another month of action.
If the Nets want to remain as favorites, James Harden and Kyrie Irving (on the road) will need to keep the team afloat. That’s easier said than done with Harden’s inconsistent play as of late and the fact that Irving isn’t available for home games. Brooklyn is 2-4 since Durant’s injury, so the remaining members of the team’s ‘Big 3’ need to step up as much as they can as soon as possible.
Otherwise, the Nets’ NBA Championship odds might slip before Durant can even return.
NBA Championship Odds: Warriors (+450)
As the Nets hope to keep their NBA Championship odds where they are, the Golden State Warriors aren’t too far behind them at +450.
After playing in the Play-In Tournament last postseason, the Warriors look like a completely different team this time around. They’re 36-13 through 49 games, which is good enough to be the second-best team in the Western Conference.
Stephen Curry’s play at the start of the 2021-22 campaign helped shoot Golden State up the standings. He’s since cooled down, but his 25.8 PTS/5.4 REB/6.2 AST stat line still has him involved in the NBA MVP conversation. It also helps that Draymond Green has been playing like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and that someone like Jordan Poole is averaging a career-high 16.8 PPG in his first year as a starter.
The Warriors became an even better team when Klay Thompson returned from his two-year absence back in December. It’s taken him some time to get back into the swing of things, however, he is averaging 15.8 PPG on .412/.368/.1000 shooting splits, so the hope is that he’ll be the Thompson of old in no time. If he can get there, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Warriors become the NBA Championship favorites at some point.
Championship Odds: Suns (+600)
The Phoenix Suns have been one of the more dominant teams this season. They’re the No. 1 team in the league with a 38-9 record, averaging 112.4 PPG (No. 3) while only giving up 104.4 (T-No. 5). As a result, they have the third-best odds (+600) to win the 2021-22 NBA Championship.
Phoenix can thank its own ‘Big 3’ for getting the work done this season. Devin Booker has been a scoring machine once again, averaging 25.0 PPG while scoring at least 30 in 35% of his outings. DeAndre Ayton is averaging a double-double (16.8 PPG and 10.6 RPG) while averaging a career-best field goal percentage of .637. Meanwhile, Chris Paul’s 14.5 PPG may be down from last year, however, his 10.1 APG is his first time averaging double-digit assist totals since 2015-16.
The Suns are currently on an eight-game winning streak as of Jan. 28. If they can continue that momentum, the next NBA Championship odds update could favor them even more.
2021-22 NBA Championship Odds Tracker
Odds via Bovada as of Friday, January 28
- Brooklyn Nets (+300)
- Golden State Warriors (+450)
- Phoenix Suns (+600)
- Milwaukee Bucks (+700)
- Miami Heat (+1200)
- Utah Jazz (+1200)
- Los Angeles Lakers (+1400)
- Philadelphia 76ers (+1800)
- Chicago Bulls (+2200)
- Memphis Grizzlies (+3000)
- Dallas Mavericks (+4000)
- Denver Nuggets (+4000)
- Los Angeles Clippers (+4000)
The complete odds list is available at Bovada.lv.
