Southwest Division Preview: Memphis Grizzlies Favored to Win Division
Evaluating the Southwest Division Odds Prior to the 2022-23 Season
NBA Southwest Division Preview: The Southwest Division is full of teams that put the league on notice last season. The Memphis Grizzlies won the second-most games behind the Suns with 56 wins. The Dallas Mavericks beat the Suns in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals to advance to the Conference Finals. And the New Orleans Pelicans had a strong second half of the season after acquiring CJ McCollum from Portland at the trade deadline. While those three teams should be primed for quite a bit of success this season, both the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs could be in for a long season.
With tons of youth, the win total and division odds for each team tell us that these two fan bases shouldn’t set their expectations very high this year. Let’s dive into out Southwest Division Preview and see where we can find the most value.
Memphis Grizzlies
- Division Odds: +110
- Conference Odds: +1200
- NBA Championship Odds: +2500
- Season Projected Win Total: 49.5
Finishing first in the NBA divisional standings in 2021-22, the Memphis Grizzlies are primed and ready to build off their franchise-tying best 56 wins from last season. Their core of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are all back this year, though Jackson Jr. will miss the first month of the season after recently having foot surgery.
They lost Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton who were key contributors but added Danny Green as another shooter alongside Dillon Brooks and a few young players through the draft. While we think Morant and company will have another solid season, there isn’t much value in taking them to win the division. Instead, there is much more value in placing a future bet on them to win the Western Conference.
Dallas Mavericks
- Division Odds: +125
- Conference Odds: +1100
- NBA Championship Odds: +2200
- Season Projected Win Total: 48.5
The Dallas Mavericks lost their second-best player this offseason with Jalen Brunson signing with the New York Knicks in free agency. However, the Mavs added big men Christian Wood and JaVale McGee who should give them more backcourt depth and rim protection.
They also drafted Jaden Hardy with the 37th overall pick in this year’s draft. Hardy is young, but he’s a player that many expect to have a ton of upside. Overall, we’re not sure the Mavs really got a whole lot better this offseason, but they also didn’t get much worse. Similar to the Grizzlies, there isn’t a whole lot of value in betting them to win the division, so a bet on them to win the conference might make a bit more sense, especially for a team that has Luka Dončić as their superstar.
New Orleans Pelicans
- Division Odds:+350
- Conference Odds: +1600
- NBA Championship Odds: +3300
- Season Projected Win Total: 45.5
The New Orleans Pelicans return basically the exact same roster as last year with their most notable move being the addition of Dyson Daniels who they drafted eighth overall. The biggest difference this team will see this season is a healthy Zion Williamson back on the floor after he missed all of last season with injuries. With Williamson, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas and Herb Jones as their starting lineup, this is a team that can be extremely dangerous offensively.
Their biggest Achilles heel is going to be on the defensive end. If they can improve on that side of the floor and Williamson can stay healthy, this is a team that could surprise a lot of people with a deep playoff run. Plus, at +350 to win the division, a bet on this team gives you some pretty solid value.
Plus, at +350 to win the division, a bet on this team gives you some pretty solid value.
Houston Rockets
- Division Odds: +850
- Conference Odds: +50000
- NBA Championship Odds: +100000
- Season Projected Win Total: 24
Fans of the Houston Rockets don’t have a ton to look forward to this season. With their win total set at 24, the outlook for this team isn’t great. Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. are all players that should take another step forward in their game, but it won’t be enough to compete against most of the teams in not only this division, but across the league.
They drafted Jabari Smith Jr, Tari Eason, TyTy Washington all in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft, all of whom were solid college players and have the ability to develop nicely this season. But overall, this team isn’t competing for the division, conference, or championship this season.
San Antonio Spurs
- Division Odds: +25000
- Conference Odds: +50000
- NBA Championship Odds: +100000
- Season Projected Win Total: 22.5
Concluding our Southwest Division Preview: San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters at Media Day not to run to Vegas and place any futures on his team. That’s the same advice we’re going to give you. Our best NBA betting tips to save your money! The Spurs are in full rebuild mode after trading Dejounte Murray to the Hawks and with more than half of their current roster 26 years old or younger. There aren’t a whole lot of bright spots for this team which means it’s going to be a rough season in San Antonio.
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