The 2021-22 NBA season for the Denver Nuggets got off to a great start on Wednesday night as they went into Phoenix and picked up a 110-98 victory. Phoenix was in the NBA Finals a season ago, and beating them on the road is a solid win for Denver.
The Nuggets are expected to be good again this season, but they will have to play really well to win that elusive NBA championship. Denver opened the season at 18/1 odds to win the NBA title, but those odds are expected to change throughout the year.
Nikola Jokic is the reigning MVP in the NBA and he got off to a great start in the season opener. Jokic poured in 27 points in the win over the Suns, and his play will be a huge key for the Nuggets all season long.
Another big key for this team will be the health of Jamal Murray. Murray has been able to carry the Nuggets at times during his career, but injuries have derailed the Nuggets in the postseason.
The Nuggets also have to find a way to play better away from home as that has hurt their overall record in past seasons. The home crowd is expected to be rocking again, and the Nuggets will continue to be tough to beat.
Western Conference is Loaded
While the Nuggets have some pretty favorable odds to win the NBA Championship this season, getting through the Western Conference is the first challenge. The West continues to be loaded with great teams, and the Nuggets will be in a fight to simply make the playoffs.
Denver currently has odds set at +1000 to win the West, and that is just the sixth-best odds out of teams from the conference. The Phoenix Suns are right above Denver at +850, and Northwest Division rivals, the Utah Jazz, are at +650.
The “Big Three” in the Western Conference are the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and LA Clippers, and all three teams are loaded. It is the Lakers that are the favorites at +195, while the Warriors and Clippers are both at +550.
The Nuggets should be good enough to make the playoffs, but it would be beneficial to getting the best possible playoff seed.
Can the Nets Dethrone the Bucks?
The Western Conference appears to be the more loaded conference this season, but the Eastern Conference has the most recent champion. The Milwaukee Bucks got past the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals, and they are one of the title favorites again.
It is the Brooklyn Nets that are the betting favorites to win the NBA Championship with odds set at +250. The Los Angeles Lakers are next on the list at +450 and they are a team that is loaded with talent.
Milwaukee still has odds set at +650 to repeat as NBA champions and the Eastern Conference appears to be a two-team race. A lot can change over the next six months, but the Nuggets should be in the mix all season long.