The Phoenix Suns are the hottest team in the NBA with a 15-2 record since the start of the new year, and they moved into a tie with the Golden State Warriors at +450 odds as the second co-favorites to win the 2022 NBA championship.
The Warriors and Suns still trail the Brooklyn Nets, who remain on top of the NBA futures board at +300 odds as the consensus favorite to win the championship.
| 2022 NBA Championship Odds |
| Now | 1/1/22 | Preseason | |
| Brooklyn Nets | +300 | +245 | +200 |
| Golden State Warriors | +450 | +550 | +1100 |
| Phoenix Suns | +450 | +750 | +1700 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +700 | +750 | +900 |
| Miami Heat | +1300 | +1400 | +2500 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1400 | +2200 | +2000 |
| Utah Jazz | +1600 | +1100 | +1500 |
| LA Lakers | +1900 | +1200 | +400 |
| Chicago Bulls | +2500 | +3000 | +8000 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +2500 | +7000 | +10000 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +4000 | +4000 | +2800 |
| Denver Nuggets | +4000 | +3000 | +2000 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +5000 | +18000 | +100000 |
| LA Clippers | +6000 | +2200 | +1700 |
| Boston Celtics | +6000 | +6000 | +4000 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +8000 | +5000 | +4500 |
| Charlotte Hornets | +13000 | +18000 | +18000 |
| Toronto Raptors | +13000 | +20000 | +25000 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +20000 | +20000 | +25000 |
| New York Knicks | +25000 | +15000 | +10000 |
The slumping Nets are bogged down in their worst losing steak in recent memory after dropping eight games in a row and slipping to the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Nets are awaiting Kevin Durant’s return from a knee injury and for James Harden’s hand to heal, while deflecting rumors that they’ll dump Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons.
Suns and Warriors +450
The top-heavy Eastern Conference has five teams separated by 1.5 games. Any of those five could end up with the #1 seed. The last 20-25 or so games of the season after the All-Star Break will be extremely important in determining who earns home-court advantage in the East.
In the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns (42-10) and Golden State Warriors (40-13) were the first and only two teams in the NBA to reach 40 games. Both are vying for the #1 seed, but the Warriors are 2.5 games behind the Suns. The #3-seed Memphis Grizzlies are 6.5 games out, while the Utah Jazz in the #4 seed find themselves 10.5 games off the lead.
If the Suns and Warriors maintain their stellar level of play, the two are on a path toward a Western Conference Finals showdown with the survivor most likely winning the 2022 championship.
The Warriors saw a title odds bump earlier in the season when they jumped out to a hot start. After Klay Thompson shook off the rust and Steph Curry slowly put his shooting slump behind him, the Warriors rattled off an eight-game winning streak.
It took a little longer before oddsmakers and bettors finally started to pay attention to the surging Suns, who recently won 11 games in a row. Chris Paul and Devin Booker might cannibalize MVP votes, but head coach Monty Williams is the betting favorite to win Coach of the Year. The Suns can run and gun with the top scoring teams in the NBA, but they can also grind out defensive stops while guarding the perimeter.
In October, the Suns were +1700 odds to win the championship. By New Year’s Eve, the Suns improved to +750 odds, but it took five weeks for them to catch the Warriors at +450 odds.
No faith moon shots
Ten underwhelming teams were listed at +100000 odds to win the 2022 NBA championship on DraftKings’ NBA futures board. which is just a demonstration that oddsmakers have zero faith in any of those teams making a playoff run, let alone winning a championship. At least one-third of the league is already thinking about next season, with another six pack of teams in jeopardy on the playoff bubble.
That list of moon shots to win the NBA title includes the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, and Detroit Pistons. Four of those teams in the Western Conference, including the Pelicans, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Kings are jockeying for the #10 seed and a spot in the play-in tournament.