The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors are the two best teams in the NBA right now and both are battling for the Pacific Division crown. The Warriors are the current betting favorite at -110 odds while the Suns are +100 odds to win the Pacific Division in back-to-back seasons.
Why is the Pacific Division race so important? The winner of the Pacific Division advanced to the NBA Finals in each of the past seven seasons, with the division winner securing four NBA championships in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2020.
During the preseason, the Warriors were only +425 odds to win the division, according to DraftKings. They were the third-highest favorite on the futures board behind the Suns (+220) and the Los Angeles Lakers (+105). With a quarter of the season in the books, the Lakers are a break-even squad with an 11-11 record, while the Suns (17-3) and Warriors (18-2) boast the two-best records in the NBA.
| NBA Pacific Division Odds |
| Now | 10/14/2021 | |
| Golden State Warriors | -110 | +425 |
| Phoenix Suns | +100 | +220 |
| LA Lakers | +2200 | +105 |
| LA Clippers | +3500 | +900 |
| Sacramento Kings | +70000 | +15000 |
The Suns and Warriors haven’t played each other yet this season, but they’ll meet twice this week and again on Christmas as part of the NBA’s epic quintuple-header.
The Suns are -2.5 favorites tonight in Phoenix against the Warriors. The Warriors are the top betting team in the NBA with a 15-4-1 record against the spread, while the Suns are 11-9 ATS.
High-Octane Warriors
It’s still early with 75% of the season yet to be played, but the Warriors and Suns look like they’re the top teams to beat in the West. The scary thing is that Klay Thompson has yet to suit up and play a game for the Warriors this season. He’s been cleared to practice, so his return is imminent. That will just make the Warriors even more dangerous when the Splash Brothers reunite for the first time since the 2019 playoffs.
The high-scoring Warriors hit the century mark in 43 consecutive games (dating back to last season) in which they scored 100 points or more. In comparison, the Miami Heat are their closest competition and scored 100-plus in their last 11 games. Only the Charlotte Hornets (110.4 ppg) average more points per game than the Warriors. But the Warriors back up their insane offense with the toughest defense in the NBA. The Warriors allow only 100.4 ppg this season, so they’re getting the job done on both ends of the court.
Valuetown: Lakers?
Can the Los Angeles Lakers (11-11) turn their season around? Sure, you never want to bet against a healthy LeBron James in the playoffs. But things aren’t pretty in Tinsel Town after a sluggish first quarter of the season, including a 141-137 loss in triple-overtime against the lowly Sacramento Kings.
Then again, LeBron really doesn’t care about division titles or playoff seeding. His primary goal is to get the current batch of Lakers ready for the postseason. So, save your money and don’t fire away at any wagers on the Lakers to win the Pacific Division at +2200 odds. If LeBron and Anthony Davis can remain healthy, then they have a legit shot at the #4 seed in the West with an inevitable showdown against whoever wins the Pacific Division (and the subsequent #1 seed) in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Clippers (11-10) are +3500 odds, but they won’t have Kawhi Leonard back this season while he recovers from ACL knee surgery. The Kings (8-13) plummeted to +70000 odds after they recently fired head coach Luke Walton.
