The Golden State Warriors entered their final road game of the regular season in Phoenix on Wednesday night on the heels of a 12-0 straight up and 8-2-2 against the spread run. With the top seed in the West now virtually locked up, the Warriors will once again have home court throughout the postseason.
NBA odds: Warriors heavy betting favorites to represent the West in the NBA Finals
Stephen Curry and the red-hot Golden State Warriors lead the field on the odds to win the NBA Western Conference at the sportsbooks by a wide margin with the playoffs approaching.
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Golden State is a -250 favorite to win the Western Conference at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Many teams would crumble in the absence of one of the world’s best players, but with Kevin Durant on the sideline, the Warriors are playing some of their best basketball of the season.
Durant is scheduled to return as early as Saturday, bringing the best team in the league back to full strength just in time for the postseason. There are plenty of tough teams in the West, but beating this Warriors team four times in seven games is going to be a tough task.
San Antonio Spurs
The team that figures to be the most likely to complete that task is the San Antonio Spurs, who are going off at +325 to win the West. The Spurs are one of the few teams in the NBA that have enjoyed some success against the Warriors in recent seasons, going 11-5 SU and 10-6 ATS in the their last 16 games against Golden State, per the OddsShark NBA Database.
San Antonio has one of the best defenses in the NBA, and that could be the key to forcing Golden State into some bad nights offensively.
Houston Rockets
Or perhaps the best shot at an upset comes from an offense-driven team like the Houston Rockets (+750), who could try to top the Warriors at their own game in a handful of shootouts. Houston has had an excellent season and looks like a legitimate contender, but a 2-9 SU and 4-7 ATS record in its last 11 games against San Antonio and a 3-19 SU and 6-15-1 ATS record in its last 22 against Golden State is concerning.
The Rockets would face San Antonio in the second round and Golden State in the conference finals, barring any upsets.
Other teams hoping to make a splash out West include the Los Angeles Clippers (+2500 on the NBA Western Conference odds), Utah Jazz (+2500), Memphis Grizzlies (+5000), and Oklahoma City Thunder (+5000). The Portland Trail Blazers (+15000) and Denver Nuggets (+20000) are battling for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West, and the dubious honor of taking on Golden State in the first round.
NBA Western Conference Betting Odds
Golden State Warriors -250
San Antonio Spurs +325
Houston Rockets +750
Los Angeles Clippers +2500
Utah Jazz +2500
Memphis Grizzlies +5000
Oklahoma City Thunder +5000
Portland Trail Blazers +15000
Denver Nuggets +20000
