NBA championship odds: Warriors, Heat, Bulls rise while Lakers fall

The 2021-22 NBA season is more than a quarter of the way through, which means it is a good time to take a look at which teams the oddsmakers deem have the best shot to win the championship. The usual suspects from the preseason odds rankings are still around but there are some new names climbing up the board. Here are the NBA title odds with a quarter of the season wrapped up, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

NBA Championship odds for 2021-22 season

Brooklyn Nets (+240)
Golden State Warriors (+600)
Milwaukee Bucks (+800)
Los Angeles Lakers (+900)
Phoenix Suns (+1000)
Utah Jazz (+1200)
Miami Heat (+1400)
Los Angeles Clippers (+2000)
Philadelphia 76ers (+2200)
Denver Nuggets (+2800)
Chicago Bulls (+3000)
Dallas Mavericks (+3500)
Atlanta Hawks (+4500)
Boston Celtics (+6000)
Memphis Grizzlies (+8000)
New York Knicks (+8000)
Portland Trail Blazers (+9000)
Charlotte Hornets (+18000)
Washington Wizards (+18000)
Indiana Pacers (+20000)
Toronto Raptors (+20000)
Minnesota Timberwolves (+25000)
Sacramento Kings (+25000)
New Orleans Pelicans (+30000)
San Antonio Spurs (+40000)
Cleveland Cavaliers (+50000)
Detroit Pistons (+100000)
Houston Rockets (+100000)
Oklahoma City Thunder (+100000)
Orlando Magic (+100000)

Note — Odds are as of December 7th.

The Warriors are up to +600 from +1100 in the preseason but they’re not the only team making the big jump. The Heat and Bulls, two teams which made big moves in the summer, have backed up those plans on the court. Miami is up to +1400 in title futures after entering the season at +2500. Chicago is dealing with some COVID issues at the moment but has surged to +3000 after entering the year at +8000.

The Lakers have taken some hits early and are somehow still sitting in fourth at +900. This is down from +400 entering the year. The Pelicans are the biggest losers in this tracker, dropping from +11000 to +30000 through the first 26 games. With Zion Williamson sidelined, it makes sense to see New Orleans’ futures plummet.

Pick: Nets +240

Brooklyn was the preseason pick and there’s no reason to turn away now, even with Kyrie Irving seemingly uninterested in returning to the court. The Nets are leading the East at the moment and have a championship rotation set up. Kevin Durant is playing like an MVP, and James Harden seems to be over his early struggles. The Warriors are an intriguing pick as well, but it’s hard to go away from the Nets after a quarter of the season.

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