The Phoenix Suns won the NBA Pacific Division in each of the past two seasons, and they’re the betting favorite to win a third-straight crown at +145 odds, according to DraftKings. The Los Angeles Clippers and defending champion Golden State Warriors are +230 odds to win the Pacific Division this year, and not that far behind the Suns, which hints at a three-way battle.
For the eighth consecutive season, a team from the Pacific Division represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. Three teams from the Pacific Division — the Suns, Warriors, and Clippers — are primed to make a run at the championship, but they’ll face a fierce divisional fight all season, especially if LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers bounce back under new head coach Darvin Ham.
| 2023 NBA Pacific Divsion Odds |
- Phoenix Suns +145
- LA Clippers +230
- Golden State Warriors +230
- LA Lakers +650
- Sacramento Kings +50000
Of course, the big question remains: will the Brooklyn Nets trade Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns? If Durant joins the Suns, the balance of power will seismically shift in their favor.
Suns +145
If the Nets don’t trade Durant out West, then the Suns will run it back with the same squad from last year after they signed Deandre Ayton instead of letting him bolt in free agency.
Led by Chris Paul and Devin Booker, the Suns secured a trip to the 2021 NBA Finals before they were tripped up in the conference semifinals in 2022. It’s been a heck of a two-year run with the Suns — who secured the best record in the NBA last season at 64-28, and the second-best record two seasons ago. You can back the Suns at +145 as the favorite, but some of the early money to win the Pacific Division was backed by bettors who think Durant will end up in a Suns uniform this fall. Paul isn’t getting any younger, so this might be the last season the Suns have a legit chance to win a championship.
Clippers +230
If the Clippers remain healthy, they’ll make a run at the Pacific Division crown and the 2023 NBA title. Kawhi Leonard returns after missing last season while recovering from ACL surgery. Paul George (elbow) and Norman Powell (fractured foot) also missed time last season, but both scorers are ready to take the Clippers to the next level. The Clippers also added John Wall to the mix after the Houston Rockets and Wall agreed to a contract buyout. The injury-prone Wall will try to play his first full season since 2016-17.
With all eyes on the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns, we love the LA Clippers at +230 odds to win the Pacific Division.
Warriors +230
The Warriors ran the table in playoffs to win the 2022 NBA Championship. Steph Curry looked like his old self en route to winning the NBA Finals MVP, while Klay Thompson shook off the rust after missing two seasons. Jordan Poole emerged as the third “Splash Brother” last season, and the Warriors now have a dangerous holy trinity of long-range snipers. The Warriors lost some key role players in free agency like Otto Porter and Gary Payton II, but Steve Kerr will give more responsibility to the next batch of young Warriors, including Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman.
The Warriors are a popular pick at +230 odds, but Kerr and the squad aren’t as concerned with the Pacific Division title and playoff seeding as much as they want to peak at the right time in the playoffs and make sure they enter the postseason with a healthy roster.
Lakers +650
Oh, have the mighty fallen. LeBron James and the Lakers were awful last season after the Russell Westbrook trade backfired on them. The Lakers have a rookie coach at the helm in Darvin Ham, who will have to figure out how to get Westbrook on the same page – both offensively and defensively — as an aging LeBron and Anthony Davis, aka Mr. Injury-Waiting-to-Happen.
LeBron and the Lakers are the fourth-best team in the NBA’s premier division and are only +650 odds to win the Pacific Division for only the second time since 2010. That number should be much higher. Despite all of the internal issues and drama surrounding a potential Westbrook trade, the legion of deep-pocketed Lakers fans skewed the lines when they bet their beloved team to win the Pacific Division and the NBA Finals.
Kings +50000
The Kings are stocked with young, talented players, so they’ll be fun to watch next season. However, the Kings are still a couple of years away from being a steady playoff squad. Newly-hired head coach Mike Brown gets a crack at guiding the Kings out of the doldrums of the Western Conference basement and into a playoff spot for the first time since 2006. Meanwhile, the Kings have a solid core with De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk, and incoming rookie Keegan Murray — who recently won the NBA 2K23 Summer League MVP. But save your money on the Kings who have moon-shot odds at +50000 to win the division.