The NBA is currently in the midst of the All-Star break, and the regular season will resume Wednesday night. The Western Conference is filled with exciting teams this season, and right now is a great time to consider betting on some NBA future props, including the winner of the Western Conference.
Below, I analyze the current odds for the winner of the Western Conference on DraftKings Sportsbook and give you a few of my favorite wagers for this market.
NBA Western Conference Winner Odds
With an eight-game lead for the top seed in the Western Conference, the Thunder own the best odds to advance to the NBA Finals from the west. Oklahoma City ranks sixth in offensive rating, lead by MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but their defense has been the main key to their success. The Thunder lead the league with an incredible 104.5 defensive rating, which is the best the NBA has seen since the Bucks in 2019-20.
All that being said, Oklahoma City has shown signs that they aren’t ready to reach the NBA Finals. In clutch situations this season, which is when the score differential is five points or fewer with five minutes or less remaining in the game, the Thunder carry a 9-7 record, which is just the 10th best clutch record in the league. Also, when Oklahoma City made it to the NBA Cup final earlier this season and faced the Bucks, the Thunder looked like an inexperienced team that wasn’t ready for the moment against a Milwaukee team that still has many of their key players from their championship winning squad four year ago. The Thunder lost by 16 points in this matchup and only scored 81 points, which is their lowest output of the season. Oklahoma City was eliminated by the Mavericks in six games in the semifinals last season. While they have improved as a whole since, the Thunder don’t feel like a great bet to win the West at this +105 price, especially with the Nuggets surging.
Denver won eight games in a row before the All-Star break, which is the longest active streak in the league. The Nuggets own an 18-6 record in the new year, and their offensive rating has been the best in the league during this time. Furthermore, their defense has improved, with Denver ranking 12th in the metric in 2025. While there is no chance that the Nuggets catch the Thunder for the top seed, Denver is coming together at the right time, and they look poised for a deep playoff run. The Nuggets are 1-1 vs. the Thunder this season and in a seven-game series against Oklahoma City, the Nuggets’ clear edge in championship pedigree would be on full display. While it would be a battle, I believe Denver would overcome not having homecourt and defeat Oklahoma City. While the media and some fans don’t want to crown Nikola Jokic with his fourth MVP award in the last five years, the center is truly the best basketball player in the world and at a very appealing +600 price on DraftKings Sportsbook, he and the Nuggets are the best bet to win the Western Conference at the All-Star break.
If looking to bet on a sleeper with longer odds to win the west, the Clippers at +1500 makes sense with Kawhi Leonard healthy again. The two-time NBA Finals MVP got up to a season-high 33 minutes in his final game before the All-Star break, which is a strong indicator that he is back to full strength, which is huge news for Los Angeles. The Clippers are 10-5 with Leonard active this season and the forward ranks 14th in the NBA in plus/minus. If Leonard and the rest of this Los Angeles team heads into the playoffs healthy, they will be a very scary team to face that has the experience to beat anyone in a seven-game series.
