The NBA season has tipped off and the big question when it comes to NBA betting tips is who wins the title? If you like a futures bet, here are the contenders along with our value picks…
NBA Betting Tips: 2022/23 Championship Odds
Here are the latest odds from TopSport…
| $6.25 | LA Clippers |
| $7 | Golden State Warriors |
| $7.25 | Boston Celtics |
| $8 | Brooklyn Nets |
| Milwaukee Bucks | |
| $12 | Phoenix Suns |
Los Angeles Clippers
2021-22 Record 42-40
Last season was an unintended rebuilding year for the Clippers due to major injuries to their two big guns Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. George played just 31 games last season but did average 24.3 points per game.
The Clippers’ biggest ‘addition’ this season is a two-time champion and Finals MVP: Leonard. He’s elite both on offence and defence, but missed the entirety of last season due to injury. That absence has led to many people underestimating his genuine game-changing impact.
When both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are on the floor, the Clippers are an exceptional +11.3 points per 100 possessions. There is a real argument that they’re the best duo in the entire NBA.
Coach Tyronn Lue is a proven title-winner (with Cleveland in 2016) and showed last year he can also get plenty out of a very limited team. The Clippers have a lot more talent this season with the return of Leonard and George, as well as the addition of injury-plagued five-time All-Star John Wall. If the Clippers are all healthy heading into the play-offs they’ll be very tough to beat and will feature prominently in most NBA betting tips.
Golden State Warriors
2021-22 Record 53-29
The Warriors were decimated by injury for much of the regular season, but the return of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green showed just how strong they can be when healthy. The Curry, Thompson and Green triumvirate had a very strong +6.8 net rating in the play-offs on the way to another Warriors title.
To their future Hall of Fame trio you can add the talent and depth of Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney and Donte DiVincenzo plus improvement from young lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman.
The Warriors blend of talent, coaching, chemistry and Finals experience is the NBA’s benchmark. That chemistry faces its ultimate test after Draymond Green viciously punched Jordan Poole in the face in pre-season.
Andre Iguodala announced he is returning to the Warriors for his 19th NBA season
“I’m letting you know now, Steph, this the last one.” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/jOdnDRSNI4
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 23, 2022
Golden State has four titles from six NBA Finals since Steve Kerr became the coach in 2014. They only need good health to be a big finals chance yet again and will feature heavily in most pundits’ NBA betting tips.
Boston Celtics
2021-22 Record 51-31
The Celtics’ most important players are back and they’ve also added the talented but injury-prone Malcolm Brogdon. He can score and create but averaged just 49 games in three seasons with Indiana. The Celtics did sign Danilo Gallinari to a two-year, $20m contract but the first season will be wiped out by an ACL injury.
Dynamic duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are about to hit their peak and Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart is already in his prime. Al Horford is coming off a strong season but at 36 years old and after a deep play-off run, his workload will need to be carefully monitored.
Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck has given President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens the green light to keep on spending to try and win it all.
“Do whatever we possibly can to win a championship. And we’re in the mode right now of completely adding on. Money is not a consideration whatsoever, and this roster shows that.”
Boston looks highly likely to be a top four seed again but the East is strong and coach Ime Udoka is suspended for the season following a ‘violation of organisational guidelines’. Joe Mazzulla, the only holdover from Brad Stevens’ coaching staff, will serve as interim coach in Udoka’s absence.
It will take another big effort to get back to the finals.
Brooklyn Nets
2021-22 Record 44-38
The Nets claim to have a Big 3 in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons. On paper, perhaps… but there are massive question marks over all three, for a multitude of reasons.
KD demanded a trade in June, telling owner Joe Tsai that he must sack both Coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks. A couple of months later, Durant withdrew that trade request when no team could meet the Nets’ astronomical asking price. After that, surely things can’t be going smoothly.
Kyrie Irving is a conundrum. The vaccine-refusing, incense-burning, baby-catching, flat-earth-believing enigma has immense talent. But he’s a liability on defence and other than some genuine Finals heroics with LeBron James in Cleveland, he’s been a serial play-off disappointment. For a variety of reasons, he has played just 20, 54 and 29 games over the last three seasons.
This brings us to Ben Simmons. The bloke that refuses to play for Australia, the 76ers… and the Nets, so far. A point guard who can’t and won’t shoot the ball. Simmons has both physical and mental ailments that make you seriously doubt whether he can contribute to a play-off run.
Royce O’Neale and TJ Warren should be handy depth on the bench, while a full season of Seth Curry and the return from injury of sharpshooter Joe Harris are likely positives.
The Nets were title favourites for almost the entire 2021-22 regular season and are fancied again in many pundits’ NBA betting tips, but look to be very poor value.
Milwaukee Bucks
2021-22 Record 51-31
Along with the Celtics, Nets and 76ers, the Bucks are one of four teams in the East that are expected to win at least 50 games.
Milwaukee’s second-best player Khris Middleton suffered an injury during the first round of the 2022 playoffs and the Bucks were eliminated earlier than many expected. He will also miss the start of this season.
Khris x Jrue x Giannis 🦌#NBAMediaDay pic.twitter.com/MmJvjfP53Y
— NBA (@NBA) September 25, 2022
It’s been a relatively subdued offseason for the 2021 Champions. They bring back a very similar roster and will add Aussie Joe Ingles to the line-up mid-season once he has rehabbed his ACL injury. GM Jon Horst chose the “run it back” strategy over the summer, emphasising continuity over major change. That’s probably a fair call for a team that’s won 69% of their games over the last four seasons.
Giannis Antetokounmpo just needs to stay healthy to be a big chance for his third MVP award.
Phoenix Suns
2021-22 Record 61-18
The Phoenix Suns were a Cinderella story last season and their 64 wins were the most in their 54-year history. But they appear to be facing some stronger headwinds this time around.
Chris Paul may appear ageless but he does turn 37 this season. Paul has been a member of five teams that squandered 2-0 series leads in the play-offs. Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks embarrassed the Suns in Games 6 and 7 of the Western Conference Semi Finals last season. Dallas had a 30-point half-time lead on the Suns home floor in Game 7.
Phoenix didn’t believe big man Deandre Ayton was worthy of a max contract and told him to go to market and try to find another team that’d pay him the big bucks. To their surprise, a big offer came through and Ayton believed he was leaving Phoenix. But the Suns then chose to match and Ayton stayed put, at least for now.
They also have the distraction of owner Robert Sarver being forced to sell the team following repeated racist and misogynistic actions over many years.
Ayton, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson are all close to their prime so there is some upside potential, but other teams in the West look to be more likely to get to the Finals.
NBA Betting Tips: Our value picks
Eastern Conference
Best Value Bucks
Worst Value Nets
Western Conference
Best Value Clippers
Worst Value Suns
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