Opening Odds to Win NBA Eastern and Western Conference for 2021 Season Released

• The Lakers and Bucks are favored to come out of the West and East in the opening odds for the 2021 NBA season
• It’s an open field in both Conferences, but the Lakers are the team to beat after landing their 17th title
• Where does the value lie? Read below for opening odds and analysis

Opening odds have been released for the Eastern and Western Conferences in the 2021 NBA season. The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers top the 2021 NBA championship odds – the pair with the best records in the 2019-20 regular season are favored to meet in next season’s NBA Finals.

There’s yet to be a start date confirmed for next season, though the odds lean towards opening night falling in January. With the Warriors and Nets expected to be title contenders, and all of this season’s best teams likely to be in the mix again, the 2021 NBA season is brilliantly poised. Will anyone in the West topple LeBron James and Anthony Davis? Will the Bucks finally make the Finals?

Starting with the Eastern Conference, here’s a rundown of the opening odds.

Odds to Win Eastern Conference

Odds taken Oct. 13 at DraftKings

Despite a surprise second-round exit at the hands of the Miami Heat, the Milwaukee Bucks are the favorites to come out of the East in 2021. Miami is at +350 behind the Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn is a surprise at +300. There’s so much uncertainty surrounding that Nets team, though bettors will no doubt be tempted by the potential of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving together.

With Steve Nash as a rookie head coach and Durant coming off a career-altering injury, no one knows what the Nets will look like next season. They could be brilliant, but even beyond the usual chemistry issues they need to work through, there are concerns. If Durant is 100% back to the guy who won two Finals MVPs then Brooklyn are immediately a title contender. Backing the Nets to come out the East is banking on that, and on Irving’s health after several injury-disrupted seasons since he forced his way out of Cleveland.

Milwaukee’s status is unsurprising. They have a back-to-back MVP and they were a juggernaut in the regular season. Picking them to win the East is a different question altogether, though.

It’s relying on Mike Budenholzer adapting, and perhaps betting on the Bucks to make necessary changes to their roster. Stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo remains the primary challenge for every team in the East, but Milwaukee still needs to prove they’re a playoff team.

Having just pushed the Lakers to six games despite injuries to Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo, the Miami Heat can feel aggrieved at being third favorites. They cruised through the East in the bubble, and with another year of development for Adebayo, Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro, they should be at least as good next season. The Heat are the best bet of the three favorites.

The Indiana Pacers look like a good dark horse pick. A coaching change should elevate their level in the playoffs, and even if Victor Oladipo gets traded, there’s plenty of talent on that roster. Their +4000 price is longer than they deserve. The arrival of Doc Rivers in Philadelphia could tempt some to back the Sixers at +1000 too, though it’s worth waiting to see if they can reshape this messy roster first.

Odds to Win Western Conference

The reigning champion Lakers are unsurprisingly favored to come out of the West again. The Lakers lead the currently coach-less Clippers and the rejuvenated Golden State Warriors in the West betting, with the Denver Nuggets way out at +900.

Having lost just three games before the Finals, the Lakers proved themselves as a dominant force in the Orlando bubble. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were supreme, Frank Vogel made the right decisions all the way through, and the veterans on the roster delivered. They have their mid-level exception to add to this group in the off-season and could attract some ring chasers, too.

The Clippers’ price reflects the talent on the team and shows how much confidence in this group remains despite their second-round meltdown. Doc Rivers is gone, but there are so many questions surrounding this team. The front office needs to find a way to improve this roster with no picks or cap room.

Paul George cannot fall short in the playoffs again. With so much of the team expected to return for 2021, the Clippers will inevitably be among the favorites, but the 2019-20 season showed they have a long way to go before they can be a Finals team.

Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins is a core that can win it all. The Warriors also have the second overall pick. There is natural skepticism of how they can bounce back after injuries, and if they can go again without Durant as they enter their thirties. Defense is the concern for Golden State – they should still be an elite offense, but will Wiggins develop into a plus defender? How will they fill out the roster around their stars? The +400 price feels a bit short at this stage.

It would be unfair to call the Nuggets dark horses. Jamal Murray played as well as anyone in the playoffs. Nikola Jokic is an undoubted top 10 player. Keeping Jerami Grant is crucial, and seeing Michael Porter Jr. improve defensively is massive.

Their odds of +900 to make the Finals look a bit harsh, but that’s in part down to the strength of the West. Denver is the value pick of the top four teams as it stands, particularly with the flexibility they have to make a major move this off-season.

Outside of the favorites, the Dallas Mavericks are worth an early bet. The health of Kristaps Porzingis is an obvious worry, but Luka Doncic has already shown he’s a superstar and has delivered in the playoffs. Their offense blew teams away in 2019-20. If they can improve defensively, they will be a real force.