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2021-22 NBA title odds: Nets clear favorites over Lakers, Bucks

Boston Globe / Getty

The Bucks were crowned 2020-21 NBA champs with a win over the Suns Tuesday. Milwaukee was +500 to win the title coming into the year, odds that were tied for the third-shortest in basketball.

It's never too early to look ahead to the 2021-22 season. Oddsmakers got to work right away, releasing prices for next year's title.

Here's how they initially stack up following the NBA season.

Odds to win the 2022 NBA title

Team Odds
Nets +200
Lakers +525
Bucks +900
Warriors +1300
Suns +1300
Jazz +1400
Clippers +1600
76ers +1600
Nuggets +2000
Mavericks +2800
Hawks +3500
Heat +3500
Celtics +5000
Trail Blazers +5000
Raptors +8000
Pelicans +8000
Grizzlies +10000
Bulls +10000
Knicks +10000
Pacers +10000
Hornets +10000
Wizards +15000
Timberwolves +25000
Spurs +25000
Kings +25000
Rockets +50000
Pistons +50000
Magic +50000
Thunder +50000
Cavaliers +50000

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Knicks

The Knicks were 250-1 heading into the 2020-21 season; only the Cavaliers and Hornets had worse odds.

Tom Thibodeau won Coach of the Year, Julius Randle took home Most Improved Player, and the franchise surged to the No. 4 seed in the postseason, where they were bounced in the first round.

New York was elite defensively, ranking No. 1 in points per game, opponent shooting percentage, and 3-point shooting percentage during the regular season. The club won 41 games despite ranking No. 5 in the NBA in games lost due to injury (10.04).

Hawks

Atlanta, a year after being listed +12500, has the top-10 shortest odds to win the title next season. Let that sink in.

The Hawks made the biggest midseason turnaround of any team in the league in 2020-21. They won 27 of their final 38 regular-season games under head coach Nate McMillan after cutting ties with Lloyd Pierce (14-20 before his firing).

The Hawks won the Southeast, made the Eastern Conference Finals, and have a bonafide MVP candidate in Trae Young, who set numerous records during his first playoff run.

Others on the rise: Jazz (+3000 to +1400), Suns (+6500 to +1300)

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Celtics

Four teams in the East have better odds to win the title over the Celtics, who didn't have much go right this past season.

Boston lost 157 man games due to COVID-19 protocol - 39 more than the next team (Dallas) - while three Celtics players were in the top-10 most missed games due to the pandemic.

The storied franchise finished 36-36, but posted an expected win-loss record of 40-32 - there was certainly more in the tank.

Raptors

Toronto's free-falling in the East, a year after owning just 18-1 odds to win the championship.

Speaking of expected win-loss, no team in basketball missed out on more victories than the Raptors in 2020-21. Head coach Nick Nurse and Co. finished a dreadful 27-45, but were slated for a 35-37 record based on point differential.

Following a championship window, this is far and away the lowest point in the market for the Raptors in quite some time.

Others on the decline: Rockets (+2500 to +250000), Heat (+1300 to +3500)

Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. Find him on Twitter @Ugglas4Arms.

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