2021-22 NBA Conference Futures Betting

Online betting sites are taking as much NBA betting as they can handle right now with the season set to start on October 19.

As another NBA season starts, more opportunities to make money on US sports betting present themselves.

The types of bets range from NBA Futures, moneyline, spread, parlay, over/under to what we'll be looking at today, NBA Conference Futures.

With these, we'll take out our crystal ball and analyze who will win the Eastern Conference and Western Conference.

The season will tip-off with two games, with all four having real aspirations toward a title.

The first game will be against the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks who are the two top favorites to make it to the NBA Championship.

The second game features the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. The Los Angeles Lakers will sport Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James while the Golden State Warriors hope to rebound from a few lost seasons.

We'll also finally get a non-COVID regular season, with all teams set to play a full 82-game regular season.

With that in mind, who do you think wins each conference?

While we won't know who will win the NBA Western Conference or the NBA Eastern Conference for many months from now, we'll make our best selections now.

Once the season starts and the field narrows on potential NBA Futures odds to win each conference, the value lessens.

So far, we've already looked at NBA Championship Futures and NBA Division Futures. Now we'll look somewhere in between—who will be representing their respective conference for the NBA Championship—the Conference Champions.

Last season, the representative from the Eastern Conference—the Milwaukee Bucks—took home the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

This season, the Milwaukee Bucks will be right in the thick of things again.

The Boston Celtics currently have the most Eastern Conference titles with nine, since the Eastern Conference was founded in 1970.

Let's check out the NBA Futures odds for each potential conference winner.

Philadelphia 76ers (+900 at FoxBet Sports)

Did you know there are Pennsylvania sports betting sites that are taking bets specific to Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons?

That goes to show you that this team is dealing with some internal complications after Simmons was clear he wanted out once upon a time.

If the Philadelphia 76ers and Simmons can put aside their differences, this team with Simmons, Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond, and Tobias Harris should compete at a high level and be right there with the two teams that are looked at as the favorites, the Brooklyn Nets, and Milwaukee Bucks.

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Brooklyn Nets (+120 at FanDuel)

When it comes to futures betting, the one thing you need to keep in mind when it comes to the Brooklyn Nets is Kyrie Irving.

For those unaware, Irving is refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and thus is going to likely be unavailable to start the season.

Now, we don't need to be professional bettors to understand the risk associated with taking the Brooklyn Nets at +120 with Irving being uncertain.

Sure, Kevin Durant and James Harden can carry the Brooklyn Nets, but will their leadership be enough if Irving is out for the entire season?

Milwaukee Bucks (+300 at FanDuel)

The Milwaukee Bucks are my personal pick to make it back to the NBA playoffs and run it all the way to the NBA Finals.

These futures odds of +300 are something that I'll take without blinking.

The Brooklyn Nets will obviously be fantastic competition, but this Milwaukee Bucks roster is solid throughout, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday.

But even beyond those guys, the Milwaukee Bucks have valuable players in Bobby Portis, Brook Lopez, Grayson Allen, Donte DiVincenzo, and more.

The status of Irving will obviously be a major factor here, but give me the team led by Giannis when it comes to this, but also NBA Finals odds.

Atlanta Hawks (+1800 at Caesars)

It's not totally out of the realm of possibility for the Atlanta Hawks to make a run and secure an Eastern Conference title, but again, topping the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets will not be easy.

The team has excellent talent with Capela, Collins, and of course, Young, but it's not quite yet a core to up against the Giannis-led Milwaukee Bucks or Harden/Durant-led Brooklyn Nets.

New York Knicks (+4600 at FanDuel)

The New York Knicks will be a playoff team, but unfortunately, they're not quite Eastern Conference champion material at this point in time.

Sure, the New York Knicks have Kemba Walker back in the fold and Julius Irving. Sure, the New York Knicks play pretty stellar defense, but there are quite a few teams that will deliver offensive output that I'm not confident the New York Knicks can keep up with right now.

Perhaps the New York Knicks will be better contenders in a few years.

Miami Heat (+1000 at PointsBet)

Any time you add a Kyle Lowry to a team that already has Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, the team is bound to improve.

In this case, the Miami Heat are going to be an interesting case study. Will Tyler Herro rebound? Will P.J. Tucker be able to guard the Kevin Durant's of the world at 36 years old? Will Jimmy Butler score more efficiently as opposed to relying on the free-throw line?

If those ring true, this team is scrappy enough to, at the very least, strike fear into the Finals hopes for a more promising team in the context of NBA futures bets and odds to win.

The Miami Heat could very well make a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, but I'm not sure they're primed to pull it off just yet.

Boston Celtics (+2000 at BetMGM)

The Boston Celtics are one of the deepest teams in terms of overall talent.

This will also be the Ime Udoka's first season as an NBA head coach.

Based on the depth and talent of players like Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Dennis Schroder, Jaylen Brown, and Robert Williams, the Boston Celtics could prove to be a headache and a potential team to upset what the online sportsbooks deem to be favorites.

With that said, it's difficult to envision the Boston Celtics taking down the Nets or Bucks at this moment.

Washington Wizards (+6600 at PointsBet)

The Washington Wizards have exceptional talent on this roster including Spencer Dinwiddie, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and of course, Bradley Beal.

Heading into this season, though, the Wizards will more than likely be a bottom of the playoff seedings type of team and could realistically trade Beal at the deadline.

The Washington Wizards already don't have the firepower to keep up with Beal, and potentially without him, it's even worse. Expect Beal to be traded.

Indiana Pacers (+3000 at FanDuel)

After missing out on the postseason last year, the Indiana Pacers will look to bounce back.

With +3000 odds at FanDuel (which is a legal Indiana sports betting site!), the Indiana Pacers are obviously a bit of a stretch when it comes to winning the Eastern Conference.

To kick off the season, the team will be dealing with a back injury to Caris LeVert, and also T.J. Warren will be on the sidelines.

The Indiana Pacers roster isn't necessarily a bad one, with LeVert, Warren, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Malcolm Brogdon, but it definitely lacks the higher-end talent to take down the beasts of the East.

If the team can stay healthy and play some better defense, the Indiana Pacers should make the postseason at the least.

Charlotte Hornets (+8000 at DraftKings)

Bringing in LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward will make the Charlotte Hornets a lot better this season.

However, the team is still young and in need of development. This season will be a great step forward for all of the young talent such as Ball, P.J. Washington, and even Terry Rozier.

This season will also provide a chance for Hayward to get healthier.

The Charlotte Hornets are poised to be a Play-In team, but even then, there's still a lot of teams that are talented enough to knock off this younger squad.

Get ready for plenty of Ball to Miles Bridges alley-oops.

Chicago Bulls (+3000 at PointsBet)

Illinois sports betting sites should see lots of action on this up-and-coming Chicago Bulls team.

The starting five projects to be the newly-added Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams, and Nikola Vucevic.

On paper, this is a fine starting five, but this is a team that is more so worried about showing improvement such as making the postseason than winning the Eastern Conference Finals.

That would be a massive improvement, but one step at a time.

Toronto Raptors

Ontario sports betting sites are currently only allowing single-game wagers to be taken.

Should that change, however, the Raptors are a team that is likely to be huge longshots to win the East.

With Lowry leaving, this leaves a team that should still be great defensively, but there are no real immediate offensive threats.

Look for Fred VanVleet to take over as the face of the franchise en route to a potential Play-In spot.

Cleveland Cavaliers (+21000 at FanDuel)

The Cleveland Cavaliers still have one remaining piece from the old Cleveland Cavaliers that dominated the East, but that is an aging Kevin Love.

Love is more so relegated to a reserve role at this point with young talent emerging.

Players such as Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, and rookie Evan Mobley will be a fun batch to look at this season, but this is a lottery team.

Orlando Magic (+15000 at PointsBet)

The Orlando Magic are another team with a lot of young talent, but they're nothing more than a lottery team.

This is because they will not have enough firepower on offense, especially when you consider Terrence Ross is their leading scorer from last season at just over 15 points per game.

No chance.

Detroit Pistons (+25000 at Caesars)

Michigan sports betting sites will have to wait a bit longer before they receive any NBA Futures bet on the Detroit Pistons.

Coming off drafting No. 1 overall, the Detroit Pistons will be looking to select highly again in the NBA draft. Not even the best odds would be enticing here.

Also founded in 1970, the NBA Western Conference has been the House that the Los Angeles Lakers built. In the over 50 years it has been around, the Los Angeles Lakers have won 32 Western Conference titles. That's simply absurd.

Looking back to last season, the Phoenix Suns secured the NBA Western Conference title but fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.

This season, the Phoenix Suns will be back in the running, but other NBA teams such as those 32-time Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers will be looking to make it 33.

Utah Jazz (+750 at Caesars)

At +750, the Utah Jazz is an intriguing wager. This is a team that is a prime candidate to make a splash for some like Bradley Beal.

Add that to a roster with Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and former Sixth Man Jordan Clarkson, amongst others and this is a team that could be good enough to take down the other top contenders.

Will the Utah Jazz three-point shooting prowess regress? That is something to keep in mind, but I'll take some shares at +750.

Phoenix Suns (+650 at DraftKings)

After the thumping delivered by the Cardinals and with the NBA season starting for the Phoenix Suns, expect lots of action at Arizona sports betting sites the rest of the year.

Looking at the Phoenix Suns, there are no real holes on the roster, but rather more experience and another season to watch what Deandre Ayton will do.

Definitely add some Phoenix Suns shares at +650.

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Los Angeles Clippers (+650 at DraftKings)

Also at +650, the Los Angeles Clippers will almost need to go into the season and not worry about which playoff seed they earn.

The Los Angeles Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard to start the season, but it would surprise no one to see them make a deep postseason run as the season progresses with a healthier Leonard and Paul George leading the way.

The Los Angeles Clippers at +650 are also worth taking a chance on.

Denver Nuggets (+1000 at PointsBet)

The state of Colorado got to witness the Denver Nuggets make a postseason run without Jamal Murray and led by Nikola Jokic, but imagine if Murray was in the fold?

Assuming health, the Denver Nuggets have essentially the same team as last year, making sure to bring back their free agents.

Get ready Colorado sports betting sites, the Denver Nuggets will be popular in NBA futures bets and also for individual games, too.

The Denver Nuggets aren't a bad bet at +1000, but there are other teams with similar odds that provide a bit more value in terms of the reality of making it to the Western Conference Finals and winning.

Dallas Mavericks (+1300 at DraftKings)

The Dallas Mavericks likely possess the future NBA Most Valuable Player in Luka Doncic. On top of that, we should hopefully see a healthy Kristaps Porzingis, the three-point artist Tim Hardaway Jr., and another excellent threes shooter in Maxi Kleber.

Coming off the bench, the Dallas Mavericks also brought in Reggie Bullock via free agency.

The most interesting dynamic surrounding the Dallas Mavericks, however, will be new head coach Jason Kidd. How does he fit in? He could very well elevate the play of Doncic.

At +1300, I'm willing to roll some dice on a potential MVP candidate.

Los Angeles Lakers (+180 at Caesars)

The Los Angeles Lakers will play the regular season with this in mind: rest.

While they may not finish as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, the NBA futures markets understand that the Lakers may let players will LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis sit a bit more than usual to prepare for a massive postseason run.

It's hard to deny a team's odds to win with those three leading the way, also having high NBA Finals odds.

Portland Trail Blazers (+3000 at PointsBet)

There could very well be a sense to improve quickly within the Portland Trail Blazers locker room following Damian Lillard potentially wanting to move on.

The Portland Trail Blazers will have no shortage of offense with Lillard, CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, and more, but can the defense hold up after being one of the worst in the league over the past two years?

That will hold the Trail Blazers back.

Golden State Warriors (+425 at BetMGM)

Now that Klay Thompson is back in the fold, a starting five including him, Draymond Green, Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and James Wiseman looks frightening.

Of course, this is assuming Thompson will be back close to his career shooting percentage of over 40 from behind the arch.

It could be too much too soon in hoping for a deep postseason run for the Golden State Warriors though after missing the playoffs last season.

At +425, that's hoping for everything to go right.

Memphis Grizzlies (+5000 at DraftKings)

Tennessee sports betting sites are lasered in on the Titans after their Monday Night Football win over the Bills, but let's not forget the Memphis Grizzlies.

Though we shouldn't forget, we can all agree they will not win the West.

It will be great to see continued development from Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson, but there's not enough offensive production on this team to beat a Los Angeles Lakers-like team.

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San Antonio Spurs (+18000 at DraftKings)

While head coach Gregg Popovich will likely out-perform expectations in the win column, the San Antonio Spurs are just an incredibly young team.

Dejounte Murray is an excellent defender, Derrick White is a fine shooter, and Keldon Johnson is coming off a gold medal.

With 13 players being 25 or younger, this is a team that is a ways away from competing and will be looking to add more talent in the next NBA Draft.

New Orleans Pelicans (+5000 at BetMGM)

Louisiana sports betting sites will have lots of action this season with Zion Williamson leading the way for the New Orleans Pelicans.

However, to start the season, Williamson will be out indefinitely with a foot injury.

That leaves a team with Brandon Ingram who is a fantastic scorer but leaves a lot to be desired on defense and Jonas Valanciunas who is coming off a fantastic year for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Once again, this is a team with fine pieces, but they will not stop the top teams in the conference.

Sacramento Kings (+8500 at FanDuel)

The Sacramento Kings are an interesting team to say the least. The fan base has gotten used to losing, drafting in the lottery each of the last 15 years.

The current team has solid pieces in De'Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Harrison Barnes, but this team cannot stop a nosebleed on defense.

The Kings are in purgatory.

Minnesota Timberwolves (+15000 at Caesars)

With potential trade rumors of Karl Anthony-Towns going around the Minnesota Timberwolves, it further illustrates how far away the Timberwolves are from even making the postseason.

D'Angelo Russell needs to play defense, and further improvement from Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels will be the key to the T-Wolves' future.

Oklahoma City Thunder (+35000 at DraftKings)

The Oklahoma City Thunder are tanking this season. Rookie Josh Giddey will be a fine player, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an All-Star type player, but beyond that, there is nothing going for this team, really.

Expect a top pick in next year's NBA Draft for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Houston Rockets (+11000 at FanDuel)

The Houston Rockets are also on “tank watch”. Bringing in young talents like Kenyon Martin Jr. and Jae'Sean Tate were nice additions, but this team will be considered a success if it wins 20 games.

It should shock no one if the Houston Rockets are drafting No. 1 overall next year.

The odds to win here should be in the millions.