NBA Division Future Bets focus on some of the stranger shifts of this 2022-23 NBA season. With Bovada’s online sportsbook providing more detailed numbers, we can get a good idea of who is trending where in the NBA’s six divisions. The regular season is halfway through already. Now, the masses see the constant back and forth of a year that has happened so much. What about “longer” shots like Phoenix and Dallas?
NBA Division Outrights For January | ![]() | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Pacific Division | ||
Golden State Warriors | +160 | +175 |
Los Angeles Clippers | +350 | +350 |
Sacramento Kings | +350 | +375 |
Phoenix Suns | +375 | +400 |
Southwest Division | ||
Memphis Grizzlies | -375 | -350 |
New Orleans Pelicans | +450 | +450 |
Dallas Mavericks | +750 | +700 |
NBA Division Future Bets stray away from some favorites. It is safe to say this 2022-23 NBA season has not gone quite as expected. Teams figuring on running away with certain divisions have not. Other teams have risen from the dead. Then, a few squads teetered up and down like a seesaw going 200 miles per hour. Some noticeable differences this season indicate a parity not seen in some time.
Honestly, the best record in the league belongs to the Boston Celtics (30-12 at press time). Memphis and Denver are both 28-13, with Brooklyn and Milwaukee not far behind. Divisional races remain close for the most part. Only the Northwest Division features a team with a lead greater than four games. Yes, the Denver Nuggets are 8.5 games better in the standings compared to the Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Portland Trail Blazers.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets rout Suns 126-97 for 12th straight home win https://t.co/71Wn9F8eYR pic.twitter.com/mNa7YMgcAR
— CBSColorado (@CBSNewsColorado) January 12, 2023
The talk that anyone could challenge Denver to win the Northwest is crazy. Their start was solid, and they began to get into a rhythm. Denver, behind Nikola Jokic, has the West’s best conference record and a good 7-3 division record. When a team is already -10000, turn out the lights, and the party is over. Denver, barring something far unforeseen, will win the NBA’s Northwest Division.
Therefore, NBA Title Future Picks focuses on this first question. Would you take a bet on one of the three runners-up? Bluntly, those +3000 to +5000 numbers carry some appeal. The problem is how far a team Utah has fallen off, and then Portland and Minnesota have injury issues. There are more valuable and sensible bets to make than pulling the trigger on anyone in the Northwest right now! Let us explain quickly why below.
Why are we not so high on the NBA Division Future Bets when it comes to the Warriors or Clippers? Think about the volatility of this season. Golden State and Los Angeles have been up, down, and sideways all season. Worse, teams are worried more about making the playoffs and load management over racking up wins and division titles. Top seeds in a conference seem to mean less too.
Now, Golden State currently gives bettors a bit of value at +150 to +175. However, they are one or two injuries away from playing the same game as the Clippers. Stephen Curry just came back, but will Steve Kerr play him in every game? Can the Warriors get healthy? It seems with the NBA, and there are always so many questions and so many last-minute lineup changes.
Here's the Warriors' injury report issued last January 4. Since then, Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins have both returned to action. Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman, and JaMychal Green will be re-evaluated around this week. pic.twitter.com/H8HZCRD9YB
— Vince 🌉 (@DubsSZN2023) January 11, 2023
The word re-evaluate generates more buzz than a dunk or buzzer-beating shot. Again, teams like the Clippers are barely playing the same starting five every week let alone nightly. That frustration drives bettors insane. It is great for parity, but for someone to wager rationally, this becomes more and more daunting. Games change on decisions made minutes before tipoff. It may burn teams like the Warriors and Clippers come playoff time.
This is part of why some “contenders” off the mark right now merit a look or two. When the value is dictated, taking small wagers on teams like Phoenix and Dallas could prove profitable. NBA Division Future Bets expand a bit on Phoenix and their risk/reward scenario.
The NBA Division Future Bets see Phoenix and Dallas as solid values for the second half of the NBA season. Both teams are within striking distance in their respective divisions. Phoenix is a mere 2.5 games out of the division lead in the Pacific despite losing eight of their last ten games. That included a 29-point pounding at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.
Never forget some solid NBA Vegas prop bets, as players like Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton had been solid prop darlings before injuries ravaged the Suns. Ayton and Paul could be back relatively soon. However, Booker is not expected to return at the earliest by the second week of February. That still gives Phoenix about two months to turn things around. Do not count them out.
Subjecting myself to Phoenix Suns fandom is no doubt a worse punishment than anything hell could possibly have in store for me. One night we are beating the defending champs in a blowout without half our team and the next the Nuggets rout us.
— Professor Oak (@GenesectV) January 12, 2023
Yes, Phoenix and Dallas may be somewhat in the same boat. Dallas is missing a good chunk of its depth players, and it is wearing down its star talent. Even Luka Doncic feels the heat as the team numbers have suffered. Doncic averages 34.2 points and nearly nine rebounds and assists per contest. Unfortunately, that has not been enough as Christian Wood is still not playing 30 minutes a night.
For the NBA Division Future Bets, consider that +750 number now though because that will dip and maybe slightly lower than +600 when Dallas gets healthy. Even their conference number at +1000 is worth a look.
More NBA Vegas online odds. from the league could help this upcoming weekend
Chris Wassel is a skilled scribe who possesses a fervor for both sports and entertainment. Boasting a journalism background and over two decades of experience, he has crafted pieces that encompass a diverse array of sports including hockey, basketball, football, and others. His writing is characterized by its lucidity and sharpness, and provides a unique viewpoint on entertainment and political matters. While Chris primarily focuses on sports writing, he also writes about a wide range of subjects.