Basketball is officially back with the NBA regular season tipping off on Tuesday night. That’s a full 82 games of betting point spreads, over/under, and tracking futures odds.
The two games on opening night feature three of the favorites to win the 2023 NBA title: the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Golden State Warriors.
The reigning champion Warriors are one of the co-favorites at +575. Even though there has been some locker room drama with Draymond Green’s punch of Jordan Poole caught on video, they’ll look to show they’re ready to repeat against an L.A. Lakers team that cannot seem to find its stride.
The other co-favorite is the Boston Celtics, who are also +575 to win a championship. The Celtics did not make too many changes in the offseason and will have the same team on the floor. However, who knows what will happen to team morale and championship chances with coach Ime Udoka suspended and Joe Mazzulla taking over on an interim basis.
The Philadelphia 76ers are a team that has gotten close in recent years but has not made it out of the Eastern Conference. They are +1300 to win the championship and could threaten if James Harden and Joel Embiid continue to gel. But the Eastern Conference is stacked. Overtaking the Celtics can be a good benchmark to start Philadelphia’s championship hunt.
Western woes
It is no surprise the Warriors are favored to repeat. But the second Western Conference team on the list may raise a few eyebrows: The L.A. Clippers are only +650 to win a championship.
The Clippers lost both play-in games last year for a shot in the Western Conference playoffs, the second one to the New Orleans Pelicans. It could be a memorable season if Kawhi Leonard returns to full health and the Clippers build on their previous success.
Further down the championship odds list are teams that have been hot in previous seasons. The Phoenix Suns (+1300) went to the NBA Finals two years ago but were bounced in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks last year. Just because the Denver Nuggets (+1600) have reigning MVP Nikola Jokic does not mean they will be championship contenders.
The 2020 champion Lakers (+1800) have consistency problems from their Big Three: Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, who couldn’t even lead the team to the play-in round a year ago. The Memphis Grizzlies (+2200) hope to build on a breakout season in which they earned the No. 2 seed in the West.
The other teams with odds less than 30 to 1 are the Mavericks (+2700), the Minnesota Timberwolves (+3000), and the New Orleans Pelicans (+3000), who hope the return of Zion Williamson boosts them into the conference’s top tier.
No matter what, there are big odds to be had out West if you’re willing to pivot from the Golden State.
Looking East
The East will be a dogfight, no question. Besides the aforementioned Celtics and 76ers, you’ve got the 2021 champion Milwaukee Bucks, who are +700 to win another NBA title; and the star-studded Brooklyn Nets, also +700
Other teams can surprise, too.
The Chicago Bulls (+6500) surprised everyone last season with trades acquiring DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Lonzo Ball and by making the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season. The main issue was staying healthy, and if they can the team could have a more memorable season than the last.
Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat (+2400) is not going away any time soon. Miami will have the same faces on the court and will continue to be a challenge for all Eastern Conference teams because it is constantly underestimated and plays a stifling defense that can stall any team. Keep an eye out for this team.
The new-look Cleveland Cavaliers, who added former Jazz star Donovan Mitchell in one of the splashes of the offseason, are +3000 to win the title.
MVP talk
The NBA MVP hunt also begins on Tuesday night and two early front-runners play in one of the games: 76ers center Joel Embiid (+700) and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (+1000). Their team leadership will be crucial for any postseason success, and if they make it back to the conference finals or even the NBA finals, it will be a tight MVP race.
But the overall favorite is high-scoring Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic at +390, followed by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo at +575. The top five is rounded out by the Nets’ Kevin Durant, who is even with Tatum at 10 to 1.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has won the past two awards but is only +1200 to win a third straight. Four-time MVP LeBron James of the Lakers is further down the list at +2000.
