More than half of the league will compete in the NBA playoffs, but only a portion of the field is given a realistic chance to win the championship. The Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets are the top contenders for the 2022 NBA Finals.

The Suns are the clear favorites with +270 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the championship. The Milwaukee Bucks are second overall and first in the East with +500 NBA Finals odds. The Brooklyn Nets aren’t far behind Milwaukee with +600 odds after earning a playoff spot through the play-in tournament.

Phoenix was clearly the NBA’s best team in the regular season. The Suns’ 64-18 record put them eight wins ahead of anyone else. The Suns blew a 2-0 lead in last year’s NBA Finals.

The Bucks are the second favorites because they defeated the Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals. Milwaukee is the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed, but the defending champs are the best bet to win when it matters most. Giannis Antetokounmpo might’ve asserted himself as basketball’s top player when he averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game for the 2021 Finals MVP award.

Kevin Durant hasn’t been as durable as Antetokounmpo, but he’s arguably a better player when healthy. Despite a mediocre regular season, the Nets are the East’s second favorite because of Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Golden State Warriors are second in the West with +900 championship odds. Golden State’s title chances likely depend on Stephen Curry’s foot injury.

The Miami Heat are contenders with +950 odds to win the NBA Finals. Miami is the East’s No. 1 seed and just two years removed from losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Finals.

The Boston Celtics (+1200) have been the league’s best team for the last three months. The first-round series between Boston and Brooklyn is essentially viewed as a toss-up.

Can the Philadelphia 76ers (+1300) win the championship? The odds suggest Philadelphia has a legitimate chance to do so, but James Harden’s 40.2% field-goal shooting with the 76ers casts doubt on the team’s title hopes. Joel Embiid is headed for a second straight top-three MVP finish.

The Memphis Grizzlies (+1400) have the best championship odds of any team without any recent playoff success. Memphis last won a playoff series seven years ago. The Grizzlies are the West’s No. 2 seed. Ja Morant will likely be an All-NBA Second-Team selection, and Memphis still managed to go 20-5 in games that he missed.

The Utah Jazz (+1900) are the only other teams with better than 20/1 odds to win the Finals at FanDuel Sportsbook before the first round of the playoffs.

The Denver Nuggets (+2300) are notable underdogs in their first-round series with the Warriors, despite Curry’s injury and Nikola Jokic’s promising bid for a second straight MVP. Luka Doncic’s calf strain could end any hope of the Dallas Mavericks (+2700) making a surprising championship run.

The Minnesota Timberwolves (+3600) beat the Los Angeles Clippers (+4200) in the first round of the play-in tournament. Los Angeles has one more chance to earn a playoff berth.

The Toronto Raptors (+6500), Chicago Bulls (+10000), Atlanta Hawks (+16000), Cleveland Cavaliers (+18000) and Charlotte Hornets (+37000) are all championship long shots.

The New Orleans Pelicans (+37000) and San Antonio Spurs (+49000) are given virtually no chance to win the title.

Jae Crowder, Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns
Jae Crowder #99 (left) and Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns sit on the bench during their game against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Chase Center on March 30, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
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