Despite another season with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, and despite the front office following LeBron’s wishes when it comes to roster management, the Lakers are still on the brink of missing the playoffs once again. Injuries to Davis and James have played a major role, as has Russell Westbrook’s implosion before the trade deadline. Even so, the Lakers were able to edge the Orlando Magic at home on Sunday behind 35 unlikely points from Austin Reaves in a 111-105 win. Reaves had the last 10 points of the game for the Lakers on a night when James was out (right foot) and AD put up just 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks (along with five turnovers). Over the last 1:33 of regulation, Reaves outscored the Magic all by himself, 10-5, to secure the win. Let’s look at the updated NBA betting odds that each team has to win a title this season, along with some insights about some of the contenders.
NBA News: Updated Championship Odds after Week 22
| Team | Odds | Milwaukee Bucks | +325 |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | +400 |
| Phoenix Suns | +450 |
| Denver Nuggets | +700 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1100 |
| Golden State Warriors | +1200 |
| L.A. Clippers | +1300 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +2000 |
| Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers | +3000 |
| L.A. Lakers | +3500 |
| Sacramento Kings | +5000 |
| N.Y. Knicks | +6600 |
| Miami Heat | +8000 |
| Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves | +15000 |
| Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets | +20000 |
| Chicago Bulls | +30000 |
| Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz,Oklahoma City Thunder | +50000 |
| Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic | +100000 |
Philadelphia
just posted an impressive eight-game winning streak that included wins over Cleveland, Charlotte and Indiana last week. Joel Embiid scored a combined 105 points in those games; could he really be poised to live up to his MVP potential this season? The 76ers posted a monster 130.6 offensive rating in those three wins.Milwaukee
took down Sacramento, Phoenix and Toronto this week; the only hiccup was a mystifying loss to Indiana, as the Pacers scored 139 points without Tyrese Haliburton. Khris Middleton has finally found his three-point shooting touch; this past week, he made 48 percent of his shots from distance and averaged better than 22 points per contest.Sacramento
had an impressive 3-1 week, with the only setback coming against Milwaukee. De’Aaron Fox was the hero in the Kings’ win over Chicago, as he nailed a three-ball to win the game in the contest’s last second.Cleveland
had a 2-1 week, beating Charlotte and Washington but losing to Philadelphia. Caris LeVert scored 61 points and dealt out 16 assists in the three games, and he made 56 percent of his three-pointers.New York
beat Portland and Denver this week, and the scariest stat that emerged was that Julius Randle, R.J. Barrett and Jalen Brunson each averaged more than 21 points per game in those victories. That kind of scoring depth will make the Knicks tough to stop.Memphis
beat Dallas, San Antonio and Golden State while losing to Miami last week despite missing Ja Morant. Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr each put up more than 20 points per game over that stretch.Boston
had a tough week, losing to Houston in a shocking upset. They also blew a huge lead on Saturday, when they lost to the Jazz. They did beat Minnesota and Portland behind 65 combined points from Jaylen Brown, who knocked down 46 percent of his three-pointers in the two wins.Denver
lost to Toronto and the Knicks but took down Brooklyn and Detroit. Nikola Jokic put up 26 points, 11 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game in those four contests, shooting 72 percent from the floor for the week.Clippers
stopped Golden State and Portland – but lost to Orlando. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard averaged more than 27 points apiece, and Ivica Zuback posted 16.3 points and 14 boards per game.Bet NBA Today
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