The 2022-2023 NBA season is right around the corner and before the new campaign gets tipped off, we're providing our best picks to reach the NBA Finals.
The dynastic Golden State Warriors are looking for their fifth championship in 10 seasons, but we're eyeing a team from the East as our best bet.
Here are our top NBA Finals picks and predictions (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook).
Top NBA Finals Picks to Make: Favorites
Bucks (+800)
Milwaukee won the NBA Finals two seasons ago and took the Boston Celtics to seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year despite missing Khris Middleton for the entire series. With perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo still in his prime, Middleton expected to be in better shape, and Brook Lopez fully healthy after missing much of last season, the Bucks should be the prohibitive favorites. There are no major red flags in regard to injuries or coaching, and this group of players has been together for years. Cohesion and talent put Milwaukee at the top of my list to win the NBA title.
Clippers (+550)
It’s a make-or-break season for Los Angeles. After three years of modest returns and frequent injuries, it’s time for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to deliver. Both players are expected to be at full health to start the season, and it’s likely L.A. closely monitors the duo’s workload throughout the year to keep them fresh for a Finals run. This isn’t just a top-heavy squad, as the Clippers brought in veteran John Wall in the offseason to compete for the starting point guard job. Depth abounds in key role players like Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris, and Nicolas Batum. Reggie Jackson and Ivica Zubac will be back for another season. This team has the talent to win a championship as long as its pair of superstars can stay healthy.
Warriors (+600)
Can Golden State ever truly be counted out as a championship contender when Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are healthy? Jordan Poole emerged as a Most Improved Player candidate last season and opens this season as the favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year. Andrew Wiggins broke out in the Finals with a monumental performance and the 2014 No. 1 pick is back for another season in the Bay. The Dubs brought in Donte DiVincenzo as a backup guard, and 2020 No. 2 pick James Wiseman is expected to be fully healthy to start the season. Before placing a bet on Golden State, keep an eye on the statuses of Green and Poole, who got into a physical altercation at Warriors practice.
76ers (+1500)
Joel Embiid has been the MVP runner-up in each of the last two seasons, and the big man and 2022 scoring champion will be back in full force. The Philadelphia 76ers will get a full season of James Harden who was traded from Brooklyn mid-season. Harden looked dreadful in the 76ers’ semifinal loss to Miami, and he’s started the new season slim and in the best shape we’ve seen him in years. Philadelphia will have breakout guard Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt alongside Harden, and the Sixers added De’Anthony Melton and Montrezl Harrell for quality bench depth. The odds are a bit long considering how much talent is on the roster, making this a value pick at +1500.
Top NBA Finals Picks: Teams to Avoid
Celtics (+600)
Reaching the Finals is tough, but to do it in back-to-back seasons is rare. Boston reached the 2022 NBA Finals after an Eastern Conference gauntlet that involved seven-game series against Milwaukee and Miami. The Bucks were without Middleton and the series against Miami came down to the wire. Factor in a key injury to defensive anchor Robert Williams, the year-long suspension of head coach Ime Udoka, plus a re-loaded Eastern Conference and Boston’s +600 odds (second-shortest) don’t seem too appealing.
Nets (+700)
Brooklyn got the band back together, but it was far from an easy proposition. Kevin Durant publicly demanded a trade and called for the jobs of his head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks in the span of just a month over the summer. Durant reconciled with Nash, Marks, and owner Joe Tsai and decided to return to Brooklyn. Kyrie Irving, a popular name thrown around in offseason trade rumors, was also brought back after missing much of last season due to his vaccination status. Ben Simmons will be back on the court after missing all of last season.
Lakers (+1800)
A fully healthy LeBron James? A fully healthy Anthony Davis? Yeah, we’ve heard that same song and dance over and over. I’m not buying it for the upcoming season, and this Lakers’ roster isn’t talented enough to withstand either player missing significant playing time. I’m out on the Lakers as title contenders.
Suns (+1200)
Phoenix won the coveted Pacific Division in each of the last two seasons and reached the Finals two seasons ago. Last year, the Suns won a club record 64 games but lost miserably in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals to Dallas. Deandre Ayton was benched early in the second half of that one, and his relationship with head coach Monty Williams seems tense at best. This should be an excellent team once again, but Ayton’s dissatisfaction and some additional talent in the Western Conference has me out on Phoenix.
Top NBA Finals Picks: Longshots
Nuggets (+1800)
Back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic will get running mates Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back this season, and the trio could take this team over the top.
Cavaliers (+3000)
Cleveland nearly got back to the playoffs last season, but key injuries down the stretch prevented the team’s first postseason run without LeBron James in more than 20 years. After a blockbuster trade for Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland’s starting lineup now includes Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Mitchell, making this team a sneaky contender.
Pelicans (+3500)
Zion Williamson is back, and so are the rest of the guys who propelled New Orleans to the playoffs a season ago. Is it really so hard to believe a starting five of CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Zion Williamson, and Jonas Valanciunas can’t make some serious noise?
Timberwolves (+3500)
The Wolves paid a king’s ransom to land three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and pair him with Karl-Anthony Towns in the frontcourt. Anthony Edwards is expected to take another leap in Year 3, and D’Angelo Russell will be back in the driver’s seat running the offense. This is a highly talented group that boasted the league’s highest-scoring offense in 2021-22.
Hawks (+4500)
Atlanta is just two years removed from making the Eastern Conference Finals, and the team just added All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to the backcourt. There’s no reason Atlanta’s odds should be this long with such an elite duo of guards and a deep bench.
Where to Bet on the NBA
FanDuel Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook
PointsBet
BetMGM
NBA Finals picks, predictions made 10/7/2022 at 11:14 a.m. ET
