Favorites for the NBA Championship

The NBA playoffs are now firmly underway which already has many fans guessing as to which teams will emerge as major title favorites and who will step up to secure their team a spot in the NBA finals.

The 2022/23 NBA regular season has provided fans with a plethora of high octane, action-packed encounters featuring a variety of the league's top talents.
There have already been plenty of enticing matchups that have occurred throughout the season which has kept fans questioning the championship status of any worthy contenders when heading into the playoffs.

Given that the playoffs have already begun, it is important to highlight which teams are truly the best sides suited to contend for a title with the following being the top favorited teams to win the Larry O'Brien trophy this season according to the latest NBA Championship odds on the DraftKings sportsbook:

Boston Celtics (+270)

After narrowly falling short of claiming their record 18th championship title in franchise history last season, the Boston Celtics have well and truly regrouped their roster and now look set to make another stern push towards NBA championship glory.
With the C's bolstering the likes of All-Star duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as last year's defensive player of the year Marcus Smart and an array of crafty veterans such as Al Horford, Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon, the Celtics look set to mount a considerable challenge for the championship this season.
First year head coach Joe Mazzulla has also steadied the ship whilst at the helm and has allowed the Celtics to play some truly exceptional offense whilst also homing in their stellar defensive plays from last season, which could cement the Celtics as the team to beat in the playoffs this campaign.

Milwaukee Bucks (+290)

The top-heavy East is shaping up to result in a sublime conference finals encounter between the aforementioned Celtics and the former champions Milwaukee Bucks, which already has fans salivating over this potential matchup.
The Bucks ended their championship drought in 2021 when they defeated the Phoenix Suns in six games, with two-time league MVP and All-NBA forward Giannis Antetokounmpo winning Finals MVP.

Alongside Giannis' dominance in the paint, the Bucks also possess two other All-Star talents in Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday as well as DPOY candidate Brook Lopez at the five and six man Bobby Portis who has provided an excellent spark off the bench, which has the Bucks in a firm status to contend for the title once again this season.

Phoenix Suns (+500)

The Western Conference is absolutely stacked for talent, yet there maybe no greater team that fits this argument than the Phoenix Suns who are looking to earn another trip back to the finals and claim their first ever championship in franchise history.

The Suns already bolstered an impressive roster that centered around All-Star guard duo Devin Booker and Chris Paul as well as former number one overall pick DeAndre Ayton, yet after a marquee mid-season trade that saw the Arizona club acquire Kevin Durant, the Suns are now in a championship or bust state of contention.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Suns will face off against a fellow stacked LA Clippers roster that features two time finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and All-NBA star Paul George, which is already looking likely to be one of the best opening matchups in this year's playoff bracket.

Philadelphia 76ers (+850)

While the Celtics and Bucks are widely considered to be the best two teams in this year's Eastern Conference playoff picture, there should still be no counting out this Sixers team that is also packed with star power.
League MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid is hoping to finally lead this team to even greater postseason success and alongside former MVP James Harden and other capable role players such as Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris and P.J. Tucker, the Sixers are set to wage war against their Eastern Conference counterparts for a shot at making an appearance in this year's finals series.

Denver Nuggets (+850)

While it appears that two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is unlikely to claim the award for the third successive year, there is still no denying his value on the court as he has led this Nuggets roster to a top seeded finish in a star-ridden Western Conference.

With his co-star Jamal Murray now return back to playoff action after a debilitating injury process and the Nuggets also enjoying the services of two-way threats Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, fans of the NBA should still have this Nuggets team on their radar as a viable threat to claim their first championship title in franchise history later this year.
Some honorable mentions who could also wager for a shot at the championship this year include the LA Lakers (+1500), Golden State Warriors (+1600) and the Memphis Grizzlies (+2500).

    More Articles