Nuggets Open as +150 Favorites to Win Northwest Division in 2020-21
- The Nuggets are expected to be the class of a very competitive Northwest Division
- Utah and Portland could give Denver fits when it comes to winning the Northwest
- See the odds to win the 2020-21 Northwest Division below, along with a betting preview
Many think that the Northwest Division will be the most competitive in all of the NBA in the 2020-2021 season, as last season four of the five teams made it to the playoffs, with the Denver Nuggets being the class of the division.
Denver made it to the Western Conference Finals before bowing out to the eventual NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
The Nuggets in the eyes of many are again going to be a force in the Western Conference, and they are the favorite to win the Northwest, opening up at a +150 to be crowned as the best in the division.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves are both at the bottom of the Northwest Division odds, with the Thunder sitting at +1800 and Minnesota at +2200.
Odds to Win the NBA Northwest Division
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Denver Nuggets | +150 |
| Utah Jazz | +210 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | +250 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +1800 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +2200 |
Odds from Nov. 27th
Can the Jazz Be a Serious Threat to Denver?
Heading into this season the Nuggets are coming off a 46-27 campaign, 1.5 games ahead of Oklahoma City and the Utah Jazz, who both ended the season 44-28.
The Jazz are expected to be the biggest competition for the Nuggets this season, as they beefed up the frontcourt this offseason, bringing back Jordan Clarkson and Derrick Favors.
"It makes feel great, honestly. The Jazz has one of the most loyal, diehard fan bases ever. When I left for the Pelicans they kept sending me messages and showed me a lot of love. That meant a lot to me." –@dfavors14 on Jazz fans' reactions to his return to @utahjazz
— Austin Horton (@austinhorton) November 26, 2020
Favors averaged nine points a game in his lone season with the Pelicans while, Clarkson came over in a deal from Cleveland and played in 42 games, averaging 15.6 points a contest.
Don’t Overlook the Trail Blazers
Portland at +250 is a team to watch, as they overcame a slow start to the regular season and finally found their stride after the league restarted.
The Trail Blazers fell victim to the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. They are expected to be in the mix and be a threat in the Northwest Division in the 2020-21 season.
Center Jusuf Nurkic is a key player for the Trail Blazers entering this season. He played in just eight regular-season games due to coming back off a gruesome leg injury, but in the five postseason games, he was the best Blazer on the court. Nurkic played 32 minutes per game averaging 15.9 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.
who remembers when Jusuf Nurkic dropped
-24 PTS
-23 REB
-7 AST
-5 STL
-5 BLKIN A SINGLE GAME 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vdbp3ssF9V
— ethan (@okcfanethan) July 17, 2020
The Blazers 2020-21 lineup could be one of the strongest in the west if everyone can stay healthy. Damian Lillard will start at point guard, CJ McCollum at shooting guard, Rodney Hood at small forward, Robert Covington at power forward and, Nurkic at center. Both Carmelo Anthony and Enes Kanter can come into the game at forward as solid rotational pieces.
Thunder and Wolves Both Could Have a Long Season
Two teams that are not expected to be on par with the Nuggets, Jazz, and Trail Blazers are the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Thunder were a pleasant surprise last season, as a three-guard lineup helped the team take Houston to seven games in the first round of the playoffs before falling.
The draft night phrase "the Oklahoma City Thunder are on the clock" is going to be seared into our brains the next few years.
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) November 15, 2020
Their offseason though has not been all that kind to the Thunder. Firstly, head coach Billy Donovan left as he and the team came to a mutual agreement that he would no longer be the head coach.
Then the team traded arguably their best player in veteran Chris Paul, along with Abdel Nader to the Phoenix Suns for a draft pick and four players.
Oklahoma City is expected to be in full rebuild this season. This starts with 35-year-old Mark Daigneault as the team’s new head coach.
While it could be a long season in OKC, the Minnesota Timberwolves are also expected to have their share of struggles this season. They are a young team that is going to have growing pains.
The Wolves and President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas have turned the roster over. This offseason the club traded away Andrew Wiggins, Robert Covington, Jeff Teague, Shabazz Napier, Gorgui Dieng, Keita Bates-Diop, Noah Vonleh, Jordan Bell, and Treveon Graham.
Welcome home, @rickyrubio9 🐺 pic.twitter.com/q6HxEpN6DV
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 20, 2020
Some of the new faces for the Wolves this season include Malik Beasley and Juan Hernangomez. Franchise player Karl-Anthony Towns, Ricky Rubio, and top pick Anthony Edwards do give Wolves fans hope that the future will be bright.
For now, the 2020-21 season likely will be a long one in the Twin cities.
Best Bet: Portland Trail Blazers (+250)
Matt Loede has been a part of the Cleveland Sports landscape working in the media since 1994 when he graduated from broadcasting school. He has extensive experience in covering MLB, NBA, NFL, and college events. He's written three books, and won the "2020 AP Sports Stringer Lifetime Service Award."
