Suns Favored to Win Western Conference
10 NBA Western Conference teams begin their quest for an NBA Championship. These are the odds each Western Conference has to reach the NBA Finals.
|
Team |
Odds to Win Western Conference |
|---|---|
|
Phoenix Suns |
+190 |
|
Golden State Warriors |
+350 |
|
Denver Nuggets |
+380 |
|
Memphis Grizzlies |
+700 |
|
Los Angeles Lakers |
+700 |
|
Los Angeles Clippers |
+1600 |
|
Sacramento Kings |
+2800 |
|
Minnesota Timberwolves |
+10000 |
|
New Orleans Pelicans |
+25000 |
|
Oklahoma City Thunder |
+50000 |
Suns Heavily Favored to Win West
Phoenix has been favored to win the Western Conference since the day Kevin Durant was acquired in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. The Suns are 8-0 when Durant suits up and has a winnable series with the Clippers.
Phoenix has homecourt advantage and boasts the 4th-best home record in the West–the Clippers will be without Paul George and are 21-20 as the away team. If Phoenix advances, meet the Timberwolves/Lakers/Nuggets series winner.
Suns – Clippers, round 1.
Kevin Durant last time he played the Clippers in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/Kd7CIq44Uc
— andrew leezus (@AndrewLeezus) April 9, 2023
The defending champion Warriors open their title defense with a best-of-seven series with the Sacramento Kings.
The Warriors have limped to an 11-30 away record, and they’ll have to find a way to steal a victory in Sacramento against a King’s side with winning home and away records. If Golden State does advance, they’ll meet the winner of the Oklahoma City/New Orleans–Memphis winner, and Memphis will have home court.
It is official.
This is the First-Time in NBA History where 3 Back-Court Players have averaged 20+ PPG simultaneously in a single season 🔥
Steph Curry – 29.4 PPG
Klay Thompson – 21.9 PPG
Jordan Poole – 20.4 PPG pic.twitter.com/PKVPBwA40d— WarriorsMuse (@WarriorsMuse) April 9, 2023
Phoenix is my best bet to win the West. Phoenix is a deadly team with Durant and is undefeated when he takes the floor. Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton are beasts, and the addition of the former Brooklyn Nets All-Star opens up the floor for both.
Chris Paul is still a decent facilitator and top mid-range shooter–when healthy, the Suns can beat anyone, and Phoenix is my best bet to win the Western Conference. Phil’s Best Bet–Phoenix +190 DraftKings.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers 10:00 pm
Phil has a pick for Tuesday’s Western Conference Play-In matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers. The winner advances to meet the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday in Memphis.
Minnesota is a +7 underdog with a 229.5 total when they meet the Lakers Tuesday night at Staples Center. The winner advances to face the Denver Nuggets, and my best bet is for the Timberwolves to cover the spread.
The Timberwolves have faced adversity all season—leading scorer Karl Anthony Towns missed 53 games due to injury. Rudy Gobert punched teammate Kyle Anderson on the bench Sunday and won’t travel to play the Lakers.
Minnesota was 2-1 against Los Angeles this season, covered the spread in two of the three, and could’ve folded during the Sunday bench scuffle, but guards Anthony Edwards and Mike Conley should be able to do enough on both ends of the floor to keep the game close.
The Lakers have LeBron James, and while he usually is enough to cover the spread, the Lakers are 10-12 ATS at Staples Center. Los Angeles closed the season with an 8-2 run, and while they will win this game, they were the worst team in the Pacific Division and didn’t cover consistently enough this season to cover the -7 points.
Phil’s Best Bet: Timberwolves +7 -110 Unibet
