The 2022 NBA Playoffs have reached the Conference Finals stage. It will feature the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, and Boston Celtics.
Dallas blew out the Phoenix Suns Sunday night, while the Celtics used a second-half surge to get past the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks in the early game.
Here are the updated NBA betting odds for every team still in contention for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Golden State Warriors (+120)
The Warriors have the most championship experience of the field. They are the odds-on favorite to win the Finals this season.
The Warriors do have exploitable matchups in lieu of Gary Payton II’s injury and Klay Thompson’s declining athleticism. They also have young talent like Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga to help give them the extra boost they need in the post-Kevin Durant era.
Golden State had very cold shooting nights in the previous round against the Memphis Grizzlies. That was also the tightest they had been defended on the perimeter up to that point in time.
Boston Celtics (+200)
The Celtics, regardless of what happens in the Eastern Conference Finals, have had a season for the history books. They shut down Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the first round, ultimately sweeping them, and then gave Giannis Antetokounmpo all he could handle and rendered him ineffective in the crucial Game Seven after he was outplayed by Jayson Tatum in Game Six.
The biggest concern for Boston fans will always be if Tatum and co-star Jaylen Brown can catch fire at the same time, but with the performances they got from role players like Al Horford, Marcus Smart, and Grant Williams, they have enough surrounding firepower to be serious championship contenders.
Miami Heat (+420)
There is a legitimate argument that Jimmy Butler has been the most impactful player in the playoffs thus far.
Miami does not have much in the way of star power, aside from Butler, and they, too, are all on the injury list. They also have role players that seem to play out of their skin when the pressure is on and can run the most suffocating defense in the league when they choose to.
Bam Adebayo will cause problems for the Celtics as he can switch onto their wings and capably defend them. Although they will need to receive production from their bench to have a chance.
Dallas Mavericks (+650)
The final entrant into the 2022 championship mix is the Mavericks. They were heavy underdogs in their last round against the regular-season-champion Suns. Dallas is led by megastar Luka Doncic but also has the complements of fellow guards Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie, giving Doncic much-needed support in the backcourt.
The Mavs might have the worst on-paper supporting cast, but these same players know their role and hit timely threes, grab offensive rebounds, and make hustle plays, all of which are perfect for the Mavs perimeter-centric team; it also helps that Doncic himself is statistically the best-ever elimination-game performer, so they are never down for the count.
