Where Sixers stand among NBA title favorites for 2021-22

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Basketball is back.

NBA training camps open up on Tuesday followed by the start of preseason action on Sunday. And before you know it, the Brooklyn Nets and reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks will be tipping off the 2021-22 regular season on Oct. 19.

So as the new season draws near, which teams have the best chance of raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2022?

To no surprise, the Nets lead the way among preseason NBA championship favorites with +225 odds, according to our partner, PointsBet.

The Nets nearly took down the Bucks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals despite Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving sharing the court for just 43 seconds in the series. They rebounded from that tough defeat with a strong offseason where they brought back key contributors Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown, as well as signed longtime San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills. The best team on paper clearly resides in Brooklyn, but just like last season, it will all come down to the health of its Big Three.

Behind Brooklyn is the Los Angeles Lakers with +350 title odds. The 2020 NBA champions were doomed by an Anthony Davis injury in a first-round playoff loss to the runner-up Phoenix Suns. L.A. didn’t sit on its hands after falling way short of repeating as champs, making a blockbuster move in acquiring Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. The team also retooled the supporting cast around its newly-formed Big Three with the additions of Carmelo Anthony, Kendrick Nunn, Trevor Ariza and Malik Monk, among others.

There’s a sizable gap between the Lakers and the team with the next-best title odds, which is the defending champions at +800. Milwaukee’s most notable departures were P.J. Tucker and Bryn Forbes, but the Bucks replenished their depth by adding Grayson Allen, George Hill and Rodney Hood. Starting two-guard Donte DiVincenzo, who went down with a season-ending ankle injury early in the playoffs, is expected to rejoin the team at some point as well. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. will be trying to become the first team to repeat as champions since the dynasty Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.

Speaking of the Warriors, they have the fourth-best championship odds at +1000. Golden State failed to clinch a playoff berth for a second straight season, losing in the Play-In Tournament, but Steph Curry and the Dubs are back to having legitimate title hopes. The Warriors added a mix of youth (lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody) and veteran pieces (Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica) this offseason, but their biggest addition will be the long-awaited return of Klay Thompson.

Rounding out the top five title favorites is the Utah Jazz at +1400. Utah steamrolled through the 2020-21 regular season, winning a league-best 52 games, before failing to advance any further than the conference semis for a fifth straight postseason. A Kawhi Leonard-less Los Angeles Clippers team beat Utah in consecutive games to bounce them in the second round. That didn’t deter the Jazz from re-signing Mike Conley and running it back with the same core though.

As for who has the worst odds of winning it all, there’s a five-way tie at +30000 between the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic.

What are the Philadelphia 76ers’ NBA title odds for 2021-22?

The Philadelphia 76ers are tied with the Clippers for the seventh-best championship odds at +1800. The Sixers were the East’s No. 1 seed last season before exiting the second round of the playoffs in stunning fashion. While they’ve mostly brought back the same team that won 49 games, their season outlook is difficult to forecast with the Ben Simmons situation still being unresolved.

Who are the betting favorites to win the NBA title in 2021-22?

Here are the title odds for all 30 teams this season:

Brooklyn Nets, +225

Los Angeles Lakers, +350

Milwaukee Bucks, +800

Golden State Warriors, +1000

Utah Jazz, +1400

Phoenix Suns, +1600

Los Angeles Clippers, +1800

Philadelphia 76ers, +1800

Denver Nuggets, +2000

Miami Heat, +2200

Dallas Mavericks, +3000

Atlanta Hawks, +3300

Boston Celtics, +4000

Portland Trail Blazers, +6000

Chicago Bulls, +6600

New Orleans Pelicans, +8000

New York Knicks, +8000

Charlotte Hornets, +10000

Indiana Pacers, +10000

Toronto Raptors, +10000

Washington Wizards, +10000

Memphis Grizzlies, +10000

San Antonio Spurs, +15000

Sacramento Kings, +15000

Minnesota Timberwolves, +20000

Cleveland Cavaliers, +30000

Detroit Pistons, +30000

Houston Rockets, +30000

Oklahoma City Thunder, +30000

Orlando Magic, +30000

Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.

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