The 2023-24 NBA season is set to tip off shortly and there are several division races that are worth keeping track of throughout the campaign. One of them is the Southwest division, where there are question marks abound throughout the group. The division already has a few of the league’s young stars and will be adding one of the most hyped draft prospects of all time this season.
Below, we’ll take at look at the Southwest Division odds for the 2023-24 season courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Southwest Division Odds for 2023-24 Season
Memphis Grizzlies: +140
Dallas Mavericks: +200
New Orleans Pelicans: +220
Houston Rockets: +4000
San Antonio Spurs: +6500
Memphis enters the new season as the favorite to win the division even with star guard Ja Morant suspended for the first 25 games of the season. Morant was suspended for a series of off-court gun incidents this past spring and won’t be eligible to return until the team’s December 19 matchup against the Pelicans.
Sitting right behind Memphis are both Dallas and New Orleans, two teams that could emerge as serious contenders in the Western Conference if their star players are on the court down the stretch. Dallas will be headlined by the All-NBA backcourt duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and added some depth with the addition of Grant Williams in the offseason. Meanwhile, New Orleans will have Zion Williamson back on the court after a tumultuous offseason where it seemed like the relationship between him and the organization had fractured. The former No. 1 overall pick will look to stat healthy and play more than 29 games for just the second time in his career.
Houston is under new leadership with Ime Udoka taking over as head coach and will continue its rebuild this season. The young roster added a veteran piece in Fred VanVleet in the offseason and took Amen Thompson with the No. 4 pick in this year’s draft. Bringing up the rear is San Antonio, who of course won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes with the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. The 7-4 French phenom is the most anticipated rookie entry into the NBA since LeBron James and all eyes will be on him as he navigates through his first season in the league.