Christmas Day typically marks the ⅓ mark of the NBA season, and most teams have played right around that number of games. The 2021-22 season has gone very differently for the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, but things can change in a hurry.
This was supposed to be a great season for basketball fans in the state of New York, but it looks as if only one team has a shot at winning the title. That would be the Nets, who are still the NBA Championship betting favorite at +260.
Brooklyn has been the betting favorite since before the season began, and they have remained in that position despite playing without Kyrie Irving. There was some recent chatter about Irving joining the team on a part-time basis at least, but it remains to be seen if that will be the case or not.
The Knicks are way down on the list of title favorites as their odds have fallen all the way down to +8000. New York has not lived up to the preseason expectations, even though those expectations were pretty mild compared to the Nets.
Can Knicks Make the Playoffs?
New York made a stunning run to the NBA Playoffs a season ago but bowed out in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks. There was some hope that the Knicks could go even further in the playoffs this season,
but making the field might be a challenge.
The Knicks have odds set at +4200 to win the Eastern Conference, which has them in a tie for the eighth-best odds. New York is still four games under .500 after Christmas, and they are going to have to really turn it on in 2022 to make it to the postseason.
Any Threat to the Nets in the East?
Not only are the News the favorites to win the NBA Finals, but they are pretty massive favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Winning the East is the first step for Brooklyn, but they might not have much of
a challenge at all, according to the odds.
Brooklyn is listed at +145 to win the East this season, and the Milwaukee Bucks are next on the list at +300. Milwaukee is the defending NBA champion, but the Nets are clearly more talented if they have a full roster that is healthy.
How is Western Conference Shaping Up?
The Los Angeles Lakers were pretty heavy betting favorites to win the Western Conference in the preseason, but that is no longer the case. Los Angeles has dealt with a number of injuries, but that roster
just has not worked out like they were hoping it would.
The Golden State Warriors are now the betting favorites to win the Western Conference at +260, but they have some company. The Phoenix Suns are right behind them at +320, and it’s shaping up to be a two-team race out West.
There are other teams that can still make a run in 2022, but the Warriors and Suns are loaded with talent.
