After an exciting NBA All-Star Game, the 2021-22 NBA regular season resumes today. With only a quarter of the regular season remaining and the NBA trade deadline now in the rearview mirror, the NBA playoff picture will really start to take shape over the coming weeks.
At this point of the season, we have a pretty good idea of who the top 2022 NBA championship contenders are. Some of the NBA title favorites are there for what they have accomplished this season, while others are there for what they could be if or when things click for them.
Let’s take a look at the current 2022 NBA championship odds from BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, and FanDuel Sportsbook, who are three of our trusted sportsbook partners.
If you live in a state with legal online sports betting and are interested in NBA betting or betting on any sport, you can’t go wrong with any of those books when it comes to reliability and variety.
Odds to Win the 2022 NBA Finals (as of Thursday, February 24, 2022)
BetMGM
- Golden State Warriors +425
- Phoenix Suns +450 (Best Value 2022 NBA Championship Odds for the Suns)
- Brooklyn Nets +600 (Best Value 2022 NBA Championship Odds for the Nets)
- Milwaukee Bucks +600
- Philadelphia 76ers +700
- Miami Heat +1000
- Utah Jazz +1600
- Boston Celtics +2500
- Chicago Bulls +2500
- Memphis Grizzlies +2500
- Denver Nuggets +3000
- Los Angeles Lakers +3000
- Cleveland Cavaliers +4000
- Dallas Mavericks +4000
- Los Angeles Clippers +10000
- Minnesota Timberwolves +12500
- Toronto Raptors +12500
- Atlanta Hawks +15000
- Charlotte Hornets +25000
- Indiana Pacers +50000
- New Orleans Pelicans +50000
- New York Knicks +50000
- Sacramento Kings +50000
- San Antonio Spurs +50000
- Washington Wizards +50000
- Houston Rockets +75000
- Portland Trail Blazers +75000
- Detroit Pistons +100000
- Oklahoma City Thunder +100000
- Orlando Magic +100000
Caesars Sportsbook
- Phoenix Suns +450 (Best Value 2022 NBA Championship Odds for the Suns)
- Golden State Warriors +475 (Best Value 2022 NBA Championship Odds for the Warriors)
- Brooklyn Nets +550
- Milwaukee Bucks +600
- Philadelphia 76ers +700
- Miami Heat +1100
- Utah Jazz +1600
- Boston Celtics +2500
- Memphis Grizzlies +2500
- Chicago Bulls +3000
- Denver Nuggets +3000
- Los Angeles Lakers +4000
- Dallas Mavericks +4000
- Cleveland Cavaliers +5000
- Los Angeles Clippers +8000
- Toronto Raptors +8000
- Minnesota Timberwolves +10000
- Atlanta Hawks +10000
- Charlotte Hornets +20000
- New Orleans Pelicans +25000
- New York Knicks +50000
- Portland Trail Blazers +75000
- Washington Wizards +100000
- San Antonio Spurs +100000
- Houston Rockets +150000
- Sacramento Kings +150000
- Detroit Pistons +200000
- Orlando Magic +200000
- Indiana Pacers +200000
- Oklahoma City Thunder +200000
FanDuel Sportsbook
- Golden State Warriors +410
- Phoenix Suns +410
- Brooklyn Nets +550
- Milwaukee Bucks +650 (Best Value 2022 NBA Championship Odds for the Bucks)
- Philadelphia 76ers +750 (Best Value 2022 NBA Championship Odds for the 76ers)
- Miami Heat +1000
- Utah Jazz +1500
- Boston Celtics +2700
- Chicago Bulls +2700
- Memphis Grizzlies +3000
- Denver Nuggets +3300
- Los Angeles Lakers +4200
- Dallas Mavericks +4200
- Cleveland Cavaliers +5000
- Minnesota Timberwolves +10000
- Los Angeles Clippers +10000
- Toronto Raptors +10000
- Atlanta Hawks +16000
- Charlotte Hornets +24000
- San Antonio Spurs +50000
- Houston Rockets +50000
- Washington Wizards +50000
- Indiana Pacers +50000
- New Orleans Pelicans +50000
- Oklahoma City Thunder +50000
- Sacramento Kings +50000
- Portland Trail Blazers +50000
- Detroit Pistons +50000
- Orlando Magic +50000
- New York Knicks +50000
Who Are the Favorites to Win the NBA Title in 2022?
Golden State Warriors (Best Value 2022 NBA Title Odds: +475 at Caesars Sportsbook)
After making five consecutive NBA Finals appearances and winning three titles in Steve Kerr’s first five seasons as head coach, the Warriors fell from the ranks of the NBA championship contenders each of the past two seasons. But they are firmly back in the title conversation this season and look set for a serious run at the finals.
Exiting the NBA All-Star break, the Warriors (42-17) have the second-best record in the NBA behind the Phoenix Suns. However, they own a 2-1 lead in the season series between the two teams, with one more game to play (at the Chase Center on March 30).
Despite field goal and three-point shooting percentages well below his career averages, Steph Curry is among the top four of the NBA MVP odds. While his numbers are currently down, Curry can go on a hot streak at any moment, and after his 50-point, MVP-winning performance at the All-Star Game, that time could be now.
Part of the reason that the Warriors fell off in the past two seasons was the absence of Klay Thomspon, who returned to action on January 9 and has averaged 17.1 points per game in his first 16 games back.
It is only a matter of time before both of the Splash Brothers are back to their best, and with All-Star Andrew Wiggins (17.7 PPG) and rising third-year guard Jordan Poole (16.4 PPG) have the kind of scoring depth that can take them all the way. In addition, with the core of Kerr, Curry, Thompson, and defensive stalwart Draymond Green, the Warriors have the championship experience that can make a real difference come May and June.
Phoenix Suns (Best Value 2022 NBA Title Odds: +450 at BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook)
After not only making the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2010, but making their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993, the Suns have proven that last season’s success was not a fluke.
Phoenix had a brief stumble out of the gate, as they lost three of four games to open the season. But other that early stutter and a similar 1-3 stretch to end 2021, the Suns have laid waste to the NBA. They have both the NBA’s best home record (26-5) and best road record (22-5) coming out of the All-Star break.
However, the Suns were hit with a big injury blow during the break, as it was announced that All-Star and future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul will miss at least the next six to eight weeks with a fractured thumb.
With a healthy lead over the Warriors and Grizzlies atop the Western Conference with less than 25 games remaining in the season, the Suns might be able to hold onto top spot in the West even if they falter a bit without Paul.
If he can return at the more optimistic end of that six-to-eight-week timeline, he will be ready for the NBA playoffs, which will start on April 16.
However, if it is at the back end of that timeline, he could be rusty for the first round of the playoffs or potentially unavailable, if there are any issues. With the possibility of a second straight first-round matchup with the Lakers, coach Monty Williams will no doubt prefer the former.
All that said, if the Suns thrive without Paul over the coming weeks, it will only enhance their value as an NBA Finals favorite when he returns for their run at going one step further than they did this past season.
Brooklyn Nets (Best Value 2022 NBA Title Odds: +600 at BetMGM)
While the odds for the Warriors and Suns are based more on production to this point, the Nets’ odds are based more on their potential. Coming out of the All-Star break, the Nets are 31-28 and eighth in the Eastern Conference. They have won only eight of their past 27 games and recently had an 11-game losing streak.
But their potential remains high, even with all of the issues that they have dealt with throughout this season.
Kevin Durant would be third in the NBA in scoring and a leading MVP candidate if he had played enough games to qualify, but he has been limited to only 36 games this season. Durant has been out with a knee sprain since mid-January, and though there is speculation that he could return soon, the Nets are likely to be cautious with him given his importance.
Kevin Durant’s 2021-22 Season (36 Games)
- Points Per Game: 29.3 (would be 3rd in the NBA)
- Rebounds Per Game: 7.4 (highest average since the 2016-17 season with the Warriors)
- Assists Per Game: 5.8 (would be second-highest average of his career)
Also, Kyrie Irving has played in just 14 games this season due to only being available for road games in select cities due to his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine.
But the Nets could be set to get a major boost in the near future, as new New York City mayor Eric Adams is hoping to get rid of the vaccine mandate that currently excludes Irving from being able to play at Barclays Center (or at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks).
Also, at some point, recent trade acquisition Ben Simmons will take the court for the Nets. However, it remains to be seen how well he will perform after not playing all season and how well the Nets’ new Big Three of KD, Kyrie, and Simmons gels together.
After all, there was a lot of optimism and expectation about how KD, Kyrie, and James Harden would work out. Yet Harden is now in Philadelphia, little more than a year after forcing his trade from the Rockets to the Nets.
If it all works, the Nets could certainly end up in the NBA Finals. But it is all a very, very big if at present. Along with the factors mentioned, the Nets will have to contend with an Eastern Conference that appears to be as strong as it has been in some time.
Betting on the 2022 NBA Finals
Would you like to learn more about betting on the NBA Finals this year? Check out our handy NBA Finals betting guide.
Also, be on the lookout in the coming weeks for plenty of content related to NBA playoffs betting and NBA Finals betting, as we prepare for what will be a busy and exciting NBA postseason.
