At the time of writing, the majority of teams in the NBA had just passed the 41-game mark or were just a game or two back. So, it’s the perfect time to assess the teams that look to be blazing a path to the Conference Finals and beyond. Two teams have been absurdly dominant in their respective conferences so far and naturally lead the way.
Leading the Charge Halfway Through
Atop the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons were riding a crazy .756 win percentage, having only dropped four games from 21 at home. On the other side, the even more impressive Oklahoma City Thunder have commenced their Championship defence with an .818 start, making them the favourites to do the double in the betting online.
At 10/11, the Thunder are firmly out in front, with the Pistons back at 13/1, despite their play so far. Just as OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was backed by the sports betting tips for a big Christmas Day, the Thunder are expected to enjoy a big night in June.
Interestingly, it’s the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, and Boston Celtics that split the two conference leaders. Unfortunately, last year’s finalists, the Indiana Pacers, lost star Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the Finals, and Myles Turner left in free agency. Now, they’re nearly rock bottom of the overall standings.
OKC’s Main Threats in the Western Conference
As the odds suggest, the experts think that the greatest threat to the Thunder doing the double comes from their own conference. The Spurs and Nuggets were out at .682 and .659 to OKC’s .818 at the time of writing. However, the odds are essentially overlooking a contender that deserves more than a dark horse billing in the eyes of many top pundits.
The New York Knicks sat a win back of the Boston Celtics at .591 at the time of writing, but with two more losses at NYK’s 44-game mark. It’s a win percentage that put the Knicks way off the pace of the .762 Pistons, though they shouldn’t be discounted after January’s demolition of the Brooklyn Nets.
Of the two who picked the Knicks to progress to the Finals, however, both had them facing the Nuggets in the final series and losing. The three other pundits went for the Detroit Pistons making it to the last dance, only to lose to either the Thunder or Nuggets.
Given that NBA games, particularly in the playoffs, are decided by the biggest stars stepping up to take control, perhaps the ratings will reveal which teams should go far. Offensively, three Nuggets, one Thunder, and a Boston player featured in the top five. For defence, four OKC players ranked at the top, alongside a Piston.
The unpredictable nature of the playoffs, let alone the trade deadline and injury issues, means that even if OKC look like the best team in the NBA by far, many still count them out. The oddsmakers see them as the clear frontrunners right now, but many still wonder if they’ll have what it takes to escape the conference again.
