Golden State Warriors Favored To Win 2022 NBA Championship

The Golden State Warriors are the new favorites to win the 2022 NBA Finals. On the verge of sweeping the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, Stephen Curry and Co. have been given better odds than any team to win this year’s championship.

Golden State took a 3-0 series lead over Denver with a 118-113 victory in Game 3 Thursday night. The way the Warriors have been able to run the Nuggets off the floor and dominate with a smaller lineup is reminiscent of the Golden State teams that won three championships from 2015-2018.

With +280 odds to win the NBA Finals at FanDuel Sportsbook, the Warriors are the clear favorites. The Boston Celtics are second with +500 odds to win the championship. The Phoenix Suns, which had been favored entering Thursday, are a distant third at +550.

The Warriors are shooting 54.2% from the field and 44.3% from three-point range in three playoff games. Curry looks like himself after missing a month with a foot injury, averaging 25.7 points in just 25.0 minutes per game. Klay Thompson is scoring 22.0 points per game. Draymond Green leads the team with averages of 8.3 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.3 steals.

The emergence of Jordan Poole is a game-changer for the Warriors and the rest of the NBA. Poole is Golden State’s leading scorer at 28.7 points per game against Denver.

In 23 minutes, the lineup of Poole, Curry, Thompson, Green and Andrew Wiggins has a net rating of plus-36.8.

While Golden State is finally healthy at the right time, injuries have struck Phoenix to start the playoffs. Devin Booker has a Grade 1 hamstring strain, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, and the injury could cost the Suns guard between two and three weeks of playing time.

The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Suns in Game 2, tying up their first-round series at 1-1. Booker scored 31 points in the first half of the contest before leaving the third quarter with the injury.

Phoenix earned the NBA's best regular-season record with the league’s top backcourt. Booker was a top-five MVP candidate with 26.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. Chris Paul led the NBA with 10.8 assists per contest.

The Suns are -300 favorites to beat the Pelicans. If Booker is out for an extended period of time, reaching the Western Conference Finals for an eventual matchup with the Warriors could prove to be difficult.