NBA Western Conference Odds Betting Explained
When the NBA season culminates with the finals, the two teams that compete in that best-of-seven series include one team from the Eastern Conference and one from the Western Conference.
On the way there, you’ll be able to wager on the success of various Western Conference teams. Making NBA Western Conference predictions on the division winners is one of the most popular ways to bet on this. The division winners typically correlate to a higher seed in the conference, therefore, having (theoretically) easier matchups on their way through the postseason.
In addition, to teach you how to read these odds, we’ll touch on how this betting market works and offer up some NBA Western Conference predictions.
How does NBA Western Conference Odds Betting Work?
There are a few ways you can wager on your NBA Western Conference predictions. You can wager on the winner of the three divisions and the team that will win the Western Conference outright.
Here, we’re focusing more on the divisions, but betting on the overall winner is basically the same when it comes to how it works.
Each division betting market will have all of the teams in the division with betting odds associated with them depending on the time of year. At the beginning of the season, every team will have odds, but then as the season progresses and teams become eliminated from winning the division or are just so far away standings-wise, the odds for that team may become unavailable.
How To Read NBA Western Conference Odds
When you understand how to read odds for betting NBA predictions on the Western Conference, you’ll be able to read odds for any wager.
Teams that have “-” odds are considered the favorites and the teams with “+” odds are the underdogs. If there are multiple teams with “-” odds, the team with the larger number is more favored and if there are multiple teams with “+” odds, the team with the smaller number is more favored.
In terms of what this means for money, think of it like this:
- A team with “-” odds indicates how much you need to wager to get $100. If you have -150 odds, you’ll need to wager $150 to win $100.
- A team with “+” odds indicates how much you’ll win if you wager $100. If you have +550 odds, you’ll win $550 if you bet $100 and win.
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NBA Western Conference Betting Odds Predictions
There are three sub-divisions within the greater Western Conference. These include the regions and teams below:
Pacific Division
We could find odds on two of the three Western Conference divisions at most NBA betting sites. For context, we’re writing this page in early March 2023.
1. Phoenix Suns
The Suns acquired Kevin Durant in early February. He’s only played in three games with the team, but in those three games, he’s averaging nearly 27 points per game, more than seven rebounds, and close to four assists. His presence in the lineup alongside Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul has led to the team going 3-0 with KD. This is going to be a dangerous team in the postseason. They’re two games back of the Kings, but this team may not lose again this year.
2. Sacramento Kings
This is easily the best Kings team in years, but they allow more on defense for how much scoring they do. Their defense is almost non-existent, and they have a record well under .500 against teams with a winning record.
3. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are always a threat, with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. They rank third in the league in points per game and will be a problem in the postseason. However, they’re three games back from the Suns and five games back from the Kings. It’ll be tough to make up this ground.
4. Los Angeles Clippers
Bordering on .500, the Clippers are 5.5 games back of the Kings for first place in the division. They rank in the bottom third of the league in points per game. The team has Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard, which could prove to be a tough out in the postseason, but there’s not a lot of time left to make up the deficit.
5. Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James and DeAngelo Russell are hurt and they’re seven games back. There’s no way they rally to win this division. Right now, the Lakers are just hoping to be a play-in team.
Northwest Division
With a 12.5-game lead on the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Denver Nuggets, who’ve lost just 20 games this year, are so far ahead in the standings that there aren’t any betting odds available for this division.
Southwest Division
Even though there are five teams in the Southwest, there are odds available for three of them. The two teams that don’t have odds are the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets, who are mathematically eliminated from contention.
1. Memphis Grizzlies
Ahead by 5.5 games, the Grizzlies are the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and have an identical win/loss record with the No. 2 seed Kings. The Grizzlies are a top-10 scoring unit, play stellar defense, and are top two in rebounds per game at 47.2.
2. Dallas Mavericks
With Irving on the roster, the Mavericks are just 5-6, further illustrating that this team needs more on the roster than just Irving and Luka Doncic. They’re a borderline play-in team and won’t catch the Grizzlies.
3. New Orleans Pelicans
Zion Williamson hasn’t played since January 2. With him active, the team is 17-12; they’re 15-22 without him. He has an impact even after missing so much time. Without him, the Pelicans will hope to hang onto the No. 10 seed.
Western Conference Odds Betting Strategies
There’s no better example of this than the Suns acquiring Kevin Durant. Whether it’s before or during the season, keep an eye out on rumors of players that could be traded and try to project where they could land. Suppose they’re potentially going to land with a team already having success. In that case, it might be worth wagering on them ahead of the trade to maximize betting value.
Consistent Enough Hedging
While you won’t need to do this once a week, we recommend regularly hedging to maximize your chances of turning a profit. Generally speaking, divisions will come down to just a couple of teams, making hedging far easier to manage. With hedging, you’ll bet on different teams as the odds vary. You can calculate the odds and how much you need to wager to turn a profit still.
Monitor Strength of Schedule
As the season progresses, you’ll know which teams are stronger than others. If a team is close to overtaking the division and has a significantly easier schedule, there could be a strong chance that the team you’re betting on may eventually take the lead.
Getting Started On NBA Western Conference Odds Betting
- Take some time to look at your sportsbook reviews to help guide you on what site is the best for you to play at.
- Once you’ve determined where to play, head over to their desktop site or download their mobile app.
- Create an account and make your first deposit.
- On the NBA betting page, you can find conference and division betting odds.
- Determine which team you want to bet on, add it to a betslip, and make your bets.
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Conclusion on NBA Western Conference Odds Betting
The Western Conference includes 15 teams, and with so many teams, there are multiple teams that you’ll be able to wager on across the multiple bet conference-specific bet types. We focus on the divisions here, but we’ll also have another guide on the Western Conference Finals.
We hope you left this page understanding how to read betting odds, read our predictions, learn how to get started with betting, and even learn some strategies to help you profit.
Whether you want to bet on the Western Conference in the 2022-23 season or wait until next year, be sure to return to this page before you do so.
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