Updated 2021-22 NBA Championship Odds – Best Bets and Predictions Ahead of Season Tip-Off

• The 2021-22 NBA season officially begins on Tuesday, October 19th
• The Nets are the current frontrunner to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy at +250
• Read on for the full odds and predictions for three potential dark horses

After a thrilling summer full of blockbuster moves, the 2021-22 NBA season is finally here.

The current favorites in the NBA Championship odds are the Brooklyn Nets at +250, even though Kyrie Irving’s status remains unclear due to his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine. The revamped Lakers aren’t far behind Brooklyn at +400, while the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks round out the top three with +650 odds to repeat.

You can find the full odds for all 30 teams below.

2022 NBA Championship Odds

Odds as of October 18th at FanDuel

Don’t Sleep on Miami

The Heat may only have +2500 odds to win the NBA Finals, but this team cannot be overlooked. Miami went out and made a couple of massive moves this offseason, most notably bringing in Kyle Lowry from the Raptors to play alongside his good friend, Jimmy Butler.

Lowry gives the Heat a true point guard and makes them a lot better in a variety of ways. Butler was typically their best playmaker but with Lowry’s arrival, Erik Spoelstra’s squad now has another high-level creator and scorer. Also, he gives Miami another fantastic defender who is willing to leave it all out on the floor every night. P.J. Tucker, who just won a title with Milwaukee, also came down to South Beach and his defensive prowess will prove to be valuable from day one.

Offensively, there is no shortage of weapons. Three-point shooting is a huge strength, with the likes of Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, the newly-signed Markieff Morris, and Lowry all capable of making it rain. Butler meanwhile can thrive more as a scorer because Lowry is running the point now, while Bam Adebayo is a monster inside and improving every year.

4 more days #HEATNation how we feel?! pic.twitter.com/AjB4qB6fox

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 17, 2021

Miami is going to be very poised to make noise this season, especially after their disappointing first-round exit in the 2021 Playoffs. We know the type of leader Jimmy Buckets is and when you add another player with the experience and grit of Lowry, it’s only going to result in success.

Nuggets Have the Pieces

Denver had serious championship aspirations last season but they were shattered when superstar guard Jamal Murray tore his ACL in April. Unfortunately, there is still no timetable for his return but more likely than not, he will return at some point. Nevertheless, the Nuggets are a very good team, led by reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.

The Joker is expected to be an absolute machine once again in 2021-22, but there’s no shortage of talent around him. Michael Porter Jr was awarded a massive supermax deal in the offseason and is coming off a year where he averaged a career-best 19 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting an impressive 44% from three-point land.

MPJ is just scratching the surface and has all the makings of becoming a star for Denver. Aaron Gordon will be heading into his first full season with the team and is a huge piece on both ends of the floor for Michael Malone.

The Nuggets have already tasted postseason success and we saw exactly what they were capable of in the 2020 bubble. Jokic and Co. made a phenomenal run to the Conference Finals but fell short to the Lakers. However, in order for Denver to actually be a legitimate contender, Murray has to be back in the fold. The Nuggets had nothing left in the tank in the 2021 Playoffs in the conference semifinals against Phoenix and that came down to the absence of their point guard who is undoubtedly their second-most important player.

Denver has a deep roster and is fundamentally sound in all areas. Don’t sleep on them in a heavily competitive Western Conference.

Healthy Celtics Could Be Dangerous

Boston struggled in 2020-21, barely sneaking into the playoffs. But, that came down to their countless injuries and COVID-19 problems. When you look at this roster though, it’s full of talent. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are bonafide superstars and one of the best duos in the league when healthy, while Marcus Smart is a defensive cog.

The C’s also added the likes of Dennis Schroder, Enes Kanter, and Josh Richardson to complement their core.

With Tatum and Brown leading the way, Boston has two All-Stars who are arguably amongst the best players in the Association. We saw what Tatum could do last season with several games where he dropped 50+ points, while even though Brown was injured for a lot of 2020-21, the former Cal standout is a natural-born scorer.

As for Schroder, a fresh start for him could be valuable after a rough stint in LA. He’s a dynamic offensive weapon who should fit nicely with the Celtics. Robert Williams has taken big strides as the big man of the future in Beantown, while Payton Pritchard is a lethal sharpshooter.

There are lots of scorers on this team but it will ultimately come down to health. If they catch the injury bug again it’s going to be a long season, but if not, the C’s have the ability to turn heads in the East under new head coach Ime Udoka, who is a terrific basketball mind.