With the 2022/23 NBA regular season now reaching its conclusion, following on from the events of a dramatic All-Star weekend in Utah, fans of the popular league are already placing their predictions in play as to who they believe will make a run in the playoffs as well as the various other notable individual and team outrights that are sure to impact the NBA landscape for years to come.
The remainder of the NBA regular season will now continue after the All-Star break that featured several notable performances in the various competitions available, which also included a number of the league’s most distinguished athletes often competing in these such events.
Throughout the 2022/23 season, NBA fans have been treated to a plethora of enticing encounters and a truly frantic trade deadline that saw an abundance of the league’s top talents switch teams for a chance to compete for an NBA championship title.
Given that the NBA season has now veering into its final few months of operation, there is continuous speculation surrounding the potential matchups that fans could be treated to in the post season as well as the various honors that individual athletes are likely to awarded due to their excellent performances throughout the season.
These are some of the top NBA odds presented by the DraftKings sportsbook ahead of the conclusion of the 2022/23 regular season:
- NBA Championship outrights:
The consensus bookmakers pick to win the championship this season comes in the form of last year’s runners-up, the Boston Celtics, as the former 17-time world champions have once again compiled a tremendous roster featuring several notable inclusions and ever-present talents that are sure to keep the C’s in contention for years.
The Celtics are +275 favorites to win the title this year, with their closest competitors in the Eastern conference remaining the Milwaukee Bucks at +550 thanks to MVP contender Giannis Antetokounmpo, with fellow Eastern contenders including the Philadelphia 76ers (+1200) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (+3000).
There may be no more stacked conference to compete against the East this year than the Western contenders which includes the Phoenix Suns leading the lot at +425 favorites after acquiring star-studded Forward Kevin Durant ahead of the Trade Deadline.
Other teams competing for a championship in the West include the top seeded Denver Nuggets (+750) led by reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, the LA Clippers (+900), the Dallas Mavericks (+1600), the Memphis Grizzlies (+1700) and the defending champions Golden State Warriors (+1700).
- Individual Player Awards:
Ahead of the looming post season, the league’s top talents are handed out awards for their continuous excellence throughout the 82 game regular season that recognize their play and how valuable they are to their franchise’s continued success.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) front-runners include the two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic leading the race at -250, closely followed by fellow big-man Joel Embiid at +450 and former two-time MVP winner Giannis Antetokounmpo at +700.
This season’s Rookie of the Year award seems to be an almost unanimous showing as this year’s number one overall draft pick, Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic, is the clear favorite at -1000 ahead of second ranking Bennedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers at +800.
On the other hand, this year’s most improved player award is majorly up for contention with first time All-Stars Lauri Markkanen (+130) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+135) both emerging as the top candidates to claim the award this year, alongside the likes of Jalen Brunson (+275), Tyrese Haliburton (+5000) and Cam Thomas (+5000).
Finally, this year’s defensive player of the year award is also up for debate with fellow first-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. standing as the outright favorite at -190 ahead of Brook Lopez (+400), Bam Adebayo (+650) and Nicolas Claxton (+750).
Other outright award leadings include Joe Mazzulla at +170 to win Coach of the Year and Malcolm Brogdon at -160 to win Sixth Man of the Year.
- Ones to watch ahead of the Playoffs:
There is certainly an abundance of amazing talent watch before the opening playoff series, which fans should keep a watchful eye on before the post season starts.
The Phoenix Suns are arguably the most talkative team on every major NBA debate topic due to their blockbuster trade to pair Kevin Durant with Chris Paul and Devin Booker, with the Suns now emerging as major contenders in a star-ridden Western Conference.
Durant’s former Brooklyn Nets teammate Kyrie Irving has also stirred several controversies with his antics both on and off the court, with the former NBA Champion now landing in Dallas to pair with superstar guard Luka Doncic in what is sure to be an entertaining backcourt tandem.
The Grizzlies and Nuggets are also viable contenders in the West with the Bucks and Cavs retaining their interest in knocking the Celtics off the top seed in the East in what is sure to be fiery conclusion to a tremendous season of NBA action.
