This year’s NBA Pacific Division appears to be in for a tight race. Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns all have a chance to claim it in the uber-competitive Western Conference. BetMGM is giving the Clippers a slight edge in the odds right now, but we’ll go over the numbers for each team ahead of the new year here.
The Clippers (19-13) are the odds-on favorites at +210. Their well-coached unit is below average on offense but gives up the fourth-fewest points per game (107.3). James Harden, and Ivica Zubac are thriving alongside a few new complementary pieces, and that’s been good enough to best the teams with bigger names so far. Kawhi Leonard’s impending January return will likely help Los Angeles play at an even higher level.
The Lakers (18-13) have the second-best odds at +250 and have made some major changes. They acquired Shake Milton and Dorian Finney-Smith in a trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to the Nets in hopes of improving their versatility on defense and shot making from reserve guards. The jury is still out on whether that was the right move.
The new-look Warriors (16-16) are right behind the Lakers at +350 and the Suns’ (15-16) odds are +380. Neither squad appears to have any big changes in the works, but the Suns are still looking to get their big three on the court at the same time consistently. That never quite worked out last season. Both teams might need to shake things up to stay relevant.
Best Bet: Los Angeles Clippers (+210)
It’s hard to believe that the Clippers are favored to take the division after losing Paul George in free agency, but here we are. They only lead the Lakers by half a game but are gearing up to welcome back one of the league’s best two-way wings. Leonard can make a team that’s already good significantly more dangerous on offense and defense and the Clippers stand out as the best option right now.
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