Some say the NBA season doesn’t really start until the Christmas period, and teams are really starting to figure out who they are now. The biggest stories in the NBA right now are Golden State thriving without Stephen Curry, which is scary for the rest of the league. Kevin Durant looks like a legitimate MVP candidate as the Warriors have won nine of their last 10 games. His former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, are one of the other hot teams right now as they have won six straight and eight of their last 10. In the East, no team has a longer winning streak than two games.
1. Golden State Warriors
NBA Title Odds: -250
The Warriors (28-7) won at home over the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland and Utah, but they lost to Denver, also at home. They’ll stay home to host Charlotte and Memphis this week, and then head to Dallas. The Warriors have now won 13 of their last 14 overall and they have played 10 of those games without Curry, who is still recovering from an ankle injury. Everyone knows how big of an offensive weapon Kevin Durant is, but he has averaged 3.2 blocks over his last five games, including five against LeBron James and the Cavaliers in a Christmas Day win.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
NBA Title Odds: +500
The Cavaliers (24-11) beat Chicago at home, then lost at Golden State and Sacramento. They’ll be on the road in Utah, then back home for Portland, then they’re off to Boston. The Cavaliers have lost three of their last four games overall, and they have failed to reach the 100-point mark in their last two games; the last time that happened was in a loss to New York back on October 29th.
3. Houston Rockets
NBA Title Odds: +600
The Rockets (25-7) lost at home to the Los Angeles Clippers, and then in Oklahoma City. The Rockets will visit Boston and Washington, and then it is back home for the Lakers and on the road in Orlando. The Rockets have lost three in a row and are still without Chris Paul, who is out with a groin injury. He could be back sometime this week, and the Rockets are 15-1 with Paul on the court.
4. Boston Celtics
NBA Title Odds: +1500
The Celtics (28-10) lost in New York, then at home in Chicago and lost to Washington, also at home, then they won in Charlotte. The Celtics will host Houston, Brooklyn and Cleveland this week. Kyrie Irving has averaged 26.2 points and 5.8 assists over his last five games, but the Celtics’ defense has been struggling, allowing 100 points or more in four of those games. Three of them resulted in losses.
5. San Antonio Spurs
NBA Title Odds: +1500
The Spurs (24-11) lost in Utah, but they won in Sacramento and at home over Brooklyn. They’ll host New York this week, and then head on the road to Detroit, New York and Philadelphia. Kawhi Leonard is being worked back into the lineup and LaMarcus Aldridge is still playing well, but Pau Gasol has been great recently. The 37-year-old has averaged 11.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists over the Spurs’ last five games and he missed the Utah game, but came back with a triple-doubles in the Sacramento game.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
NBA Title Odds: +1800
The Thunder (20-15) won at home over Atlanta, Houston and Toronto, and also on the road in Utah. They’ll stay at home to host Milwaukee and Dallas, then head on the road against the Lakers. The Thunder have now rattled off six wins in a row, hitting the 100-point mark in five of those games. Russell Westbrook is still the top guy, but Paul George and Carmelo Anthony are looking more comfortable in their new roles and the Thunder are starting to play like the team everyone thought they would be.
7. Toronto Raptors
NBA Title Odds: +4000
The Raptors (23-10) swept a home-and-home with Philadelphia, but then lost in Dallas and Oklahoma City. They’ll host Atlanta and Milwaukee next, and then head on the road to Chicago. DeMar DeRozan scored 45 and 29 points in the wins over Philadelphia, but only eight and 15 in the losses to Dallas and Oklahoma City. That means Kyle Lowry has to step it up when his backcourt partner doesn’t have it going.
8. Washington Wizards
NBA Title Odds: +4000
The Wizards (19-16) lost in Brooklyn and Atlanta, but won in Boston and they also won at home over Orlando. Next, the Wizards will host Houston, Chicago and New York. John Wall is averaging 10.4 assists over his last five games, but he is also putting up just 13.8 points on 36.4% shooting. He is still coming back from a knee injury, but the Wizards need Wall to put points on the board as well as set up his teammates if they’re going to challenge in the Eastern Conference.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
NBA Title Odds: +10000
The Timberwolves (22-13) won in Phoenix and Los Angeles over the Lakers, as well as in Denver at home in overtime. They’ll visit Milwaukee and Indiana next, then host the Lakers, then it is back on the road to Brooklyn. The Timberwolves have won five in a row now and they seem to have decided that they’re just going to try and outscore teams, rather then try to stop them defensively. They might not do much when they get to the playoffs, but the Timberwolves are at least entertaining to watch.
10. Milwaukee Bucks
NBA Title Odds: +10000
The Bucks (17-15) split a home-and-home with Charlotte, winning at home and losing on the road, and then they lost at home to Chicago. Next, the Bucks will host Minnesota, then head to Oklahoma City and Toronto, then it is back home to host Indiana. The Bucks are another team that don’t play any defense, and their offense isn’t good enough to do that, outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe. The Bucks are also dreadful on the boards, ranking 30th in the league in rebounds per game. They need to make hitting the glass a group effort to move up in the Eastern Conference.
The 2017-18 NBA is well underway. It’s been a wild offseason already, but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest NBA betting lines right here.
