The NBA season is just weeks away, so now is the time to place NBA futures bets before sharp money bids the best numbers off the board. The betting markets vary wildly on the 2022-23 NBA Championship odds, and big-name players like Kevin Durant have swung numbers as recently as last week. Still, value exists for two smart 2022-23 NBA championship betting picks.
The Boston Celtics currently boast the best odds to win the 2022-23 NBA Championship at almost every sportsbook. Still, not every oddsmaker favors them. The Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks all have the next-shortest NBA Championship odds. However, at this point last year, the Brooklyn Nets were favorites at just +240 on the NBA betting markets, so sharp bettors should look beyond the favorites for value.
2022-23 NBA Championship Betting Odds & Predictions
2022-23 NBA Championship Betting Odds
NBA Championship Prediction: Denver Nuggets | +2400 at FanDuel
The Denver Nuggets should end up with a much shorter number by the time the NBA season rolls around. They already have much shorter odds to win the 2022-23 NBA Championship at most books already. SuperBook and WynnBet have the lowest price at 16-1. DraftKings and BetMGM both have a number lower than 20-1. Yet, FanDuel Sportsbook is still offering bettors a 24-1 line that looks like an absolute steal.
Last year's first-round exit against the Golden State Warriors wasn't what the Nuggets wanted. But with Michael Porter Jr. failing to stay healthy and Jamal Murray sitting out the season, Denver's 48-34 record was actually somewhat impressive. Nikola Jokic proved that he could carry the team to the playoffs. Fortunately, he won't have to do that this season.
Next year, a healthy Murray and Porter may link back up with Jokic to form a rock-solid offensive core. Veterans Aaron Gordon, Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are all positive defenders who can contribute on the offensive end when needed. Second-year guard Bones Hyland will provide some offensive pop off the bench and is an early front-runner for Sixth Man of the Year. The Nuggets have all the pieces necessary to contend for a championship, and their odds of winning a ring are better than the 4% chance FanDuel is giving them. That makes them one of the best bets on the NBA futures market.
NBA Championship Prediction: Dallas Mavericks | +2500 at FanDuel
The markets vary less on the Dallas Mavericks: no book is giving them odds shorter than 20-1 to win the 2022-23 NBA Championship. Still, 25-1 is a solid value bet. Luka Doncic carried the Mavericks to the NBA Western Conference Finals last year, and he'll have a better team around him this season.
Gone are Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Brunson, but Tim Hardaway Jr. will return, and Christian Wood came over from the Houston Rockets. Trading Porzingis freed up the Mavericks on both ends, and they finished the regular season with a 20-6 record after the deal. Adding Wood gives them a versatile big who can defend and rebound — two things that Porzingis struggled with — as well as shoot. A career 51–38–67 shooter, Wood owns better stats from everywhere but the charity stripe than the 44–35–82 Porzingis.
The Mavericks must improve in two key areas to have a chance of winning the 2022-23 NBA championship: rebounding and shooting efficiency. Wood and incoming center JaVale McGee should help the Mavs massively on the glass. Both players recorded rebound rates well above every high-usage Mavericks player from last season. Wood, Hardaway and Dinwiddie should all take some defensive pressure off Doncic, allowing him to attempt — or pass out to — smarter looks. Few teams are stronger value betting picks for the 2022-23 NBA Championship.
