Golden State Warriors New Favorites in 2022 NBA Championship Odds After Suns Lose Devin Booker to Hamstring Injury

• The Golden State Warriors have become NBA title favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook
• Devin Booker’s hamstring strain is likely to rule him out of Games Three and Four of the first round
• Do the Dubs deserve to be championship favorites? 

Devin Booker’s hamstring injury has provoked considerable NBA Championship odds movement. Only one book, however, has taken the bold step to remove the Phoenix Suns as title favorites.

FanDuel has the Golden State Warriors at the shortest price to win the 2022 NBA Finals following the news of Booker’s injury. The Dubs lead the Denver Nuggets 2-0 after two sensational performances to start the series.

2022 NBA Championship Odds

Odds as of Apr 20 at FanDuel Sportsbook

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Booker Injury Update

Devin Booker was white-hot in the first half of the Suns’ game against the Pelicans on Tuesday night. Booker was forced to leave with a hamstring issue in the third quarter, however, which was initially reported to be no more than tightness. An update from Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday shed more light on the injury, claiming Booker is unlikely to play in either of the next two games.

Booker is yet to be ruled out for the series, and the Suns have got plenty of wins while missing key players this season, but they are suddenly under severe pressure. The series is tied at 1-1 as it heads to New Orleans. The combination of CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram shone for the Pels in Game Two.

Re: Devin Booker: The term mild suggests a low grade strain. He has a history of hamstring strains having previously missed time w/ issues on each leg. The left has been historically more problematic but he missed 2 games during the 2018-19 season w/ right hamstring tightness.

— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) April 20, 2022

Jeff Stotts noted that the average time for ‘nondescript hamstring strains’ is 12 days in the NBA. Booker has a long history of hamstring issues, including during the 2021-22 regular season, but the left hamstring has generally been more of an issue. The Suns guard missed just two games with right hamstring tightness in 2018-19 according to Stotts.

Pelicans Present Real Challenge

Phoenix went 8-6 without Booker in the regular season. Books still have them as odds-on favorites to win their first round matchup with the Pelicans despite Booker’s injury, but there’s no question their margin for error has decreased.

Willie Green said there was a point in the 4th quarter where he stopped calling plays and let Brandon Ingram run the offense.

Said he had to sit back and let BI cook.

— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) April 20, 2022

New Orleans is top ten in both offense and defense since the All-Star break. The McCollum trade turned their season on its head, and Ingram showed in Game 2 that he’s unafraid of the playoff spotlight. Led by Jonas Valanciunas, they have dominated the Suns on the glass through two games. The Pels have more offensive firepower than the Suns without Booker, and they will fancy their chances at taking at least one game in The Big Easy before the series returns to Arizona.

What looked like a routine path to the second round has become something significantly more challenging for the Suns. They can beat the Pels without Booker, but this series is very much in the balance if Booker cannot return. With Booker expected to miss the next two down, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Suns 3-1 down.

Warriors Look Dominant

Whatever nickname is given to specific Warriors line ups, there’s no denying that they have been brilliant in the first two games. Jordan Poole is a star. Klay Thompson is knocking down shots. Draymond Green looks like Draymond Green again. Steph Curry is the greatest sixth man in NBA history.

DEATHCON 5 lineup:

— 11 minutes played
— 47 points scored
— +29 +/-
— 17-22 shooting
— 7-8 from three
— 204.3 offensive rating
— 75.0 defensive rating
— 129.3 net rating pic.twitter.com/mu4dYnT7jm

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 19, 2022

When it comes to evaluating them as title favorites, though, their opposition should be taken into account. Denver is arguably the weakest of the 16 first round teams, and this is a nightmare matchup for them. As great as the Dubs have been, it’s not a surprise that their small ball line ups are torching the Nuggets.

On the other hand, it feels like things are opening up for the Warriors. Where the Eastern Conference remains open (though the Bucks are deserving favorites), Golden State is looking at a second round matchup with the Grizzlies or Timberwolves while seeing Devin Booker and Luka Doncic struggle with injuries.

The Warriors entered the postseason with their own uncertainty. Such concerns have quickly been swept aside with Curry playing at a high level and Green regaining his early season form. With potentially a favorable route to the Finals, and an offense which could prove unstoppable, it’s not outlandish to have them as favorites right now. Milwaukee, though, still looks like the value pick.