Golden State Warriors Now In Top-5 In NBA Championship Odds

The 2022-23 NBA season has been largely about parody. The playoff races in both the East and the West have been extremely tightly contested since the opening weeks, with hoards of teams being separated by as few as four or five games. It is especially so in the Western Conference, and the Golden State Warriors look like they are poised to take advantage.

They had played .500 basketball for much of the season up until late February, but have won four in a row after defeating the Clippers on Thursday night. They have begun their ascent up the standings, and have shot up from 8th place all the way to 5th in a matter of a couple of weeks. And they’ve been doing it without Steph Curry.

Betting: Golden State Warriors Now In Top-5 In NBA Championship Odds

But their super star is set to return next week, making the Warriors even stronger as we hit the home stretch of the regular season. The sports books have taken note.

They’re not the favorites, and you might even consider them a long shot. But for a team that has such an abysmal record on the road, the Warriors being in the top-5 in NBA Championship odds is impressive. They currently have a +1200 designation, technically tied for 5th with the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. Should Golden State find themselves as the 5th seed or better after their tough impending schedule, then those odds should shorten.

Right now, the Boston Celtics are the favorites, as they have been. They have a +300 designation, and have looked to be the strongest team for much of the year. This is good value for a favorite. The new-look Phoenix Suns got a serious boost in their championship odds with the addition of Kevin Durant, and they are currently second-favorites at +450.

The team that is currently in first place in the competitive Western Conference is all the way down in 4th place in terms of championship odds. The Denver Nuggets have the player that is heavily favored to win his third straight MVP award, but Nikola Jokic has yet to prove any kind of playoff prowess, so his team is sitting at +750.

Is Curry’s return enough to warrant putting some cash down on the Golden State Warriors at +1200? Probably not. They have played mostly .500 basketball whether he has been on the court or not in 2022-23, and their current winning streak could prove to be fools gold once they hit the road for 8 of their next 10 games.

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