The Denver Nuggets remain the team to beat in the Western Conference, but the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves have joined the Los Angeles Clippers as real threats to challenge Denver.
How will the West be won?
Read on for our 2024 NBA Western Conference best bets.
NBA Western Conference Winner Odds 2024
NBA odds used for these best bets are from Monday, Feb. 26, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Denver Nuggets (+245)
- Los Angeles Clippers (+250)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (+800)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (+850)
- Phoenix Suns (+900)
- Dallas Mavericks (+1300)
- Los Angeles Lakers (+1600)
- Golden State Warriors (+1800)
- Sacramento Kings (+2800)
- New Orleans Pelicans (+2800)
- Utah Jazz (+70000)
- Houston Rockets (+70000)
- San Antonio Spurs (+80000)
- Portland Trail Blazers (+80000)
- Memphis Grizzlies (+80000)
NBA Western Conference Winner Best Bet
Denver Nuggets (+245)
Denver has the MVP frontrunner in Nikola Jokic and arguably the league’s best home-court advantage due to the thin air of Ball Arena. It also, of course, has championship pedigree, having won the Finals last season with largely the same cast.
- Can Denver repeat? See where the Nuggets sit in our NBA Finals odds.
The Nuggets may not necessarily be the best value pick, but it is hard to argue with them as the favorite to win the West.
[pick id="173656"]
NBA Western Conference Favorites
Los Angeles Clippers (+250)
The Clippers have a Big Three of Paul George, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard as well as a few solid veterans off the bench. That mix of balance and star power could go a long way, even in a loaded Western Conference.
That the 34-year-old Harden has never won a championship may justifiably scare off some bettors. The closest he’s come was in 2012 when Oklahoma City lost to Miami in the Finals.
Still, Los Angeles shouldn’t be viewed as anything but a top-flight contender. The Clippers are 18-7 since Jan. 1, largely thanks to the NBA’s fourth-ranked offense.
[pick id="173657"]
Oklahoma City Thunder (+800)
The Thunder have gone from playoff sleeper to legitimate contender. There’s no question they are for real.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a superstar, leading the NBA in steals (120) while ranking second in points per game (31.2). Chet Holmgren is already an elite rim protector at 7-foot-1, and their young supporting cast is only getting better.
We’ve seen the Thunder be ultra-efficient on offense — they rank first in 3-point shooting and second in field goal percentage — and they will need to maintain that to beat the likes of Denver and Los Angeles.
NBA Western Conference Contenders
Minnesota Timberwolves (+850)
Contrary to preseason expectations, Minnesota sits atop the West, tied with Oklahoma City for the conference’s best record at 40-17.
The Timberwolves have an elite one-two punch in Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, in addition to a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert.
With five of their final 25 games against either the Nuggets or Clippers, the Timberwolves – who are averaging a league-low 106.4 points per game – will have plenty more opportunities to show they belong.
[pick id="173658"]
Phoenix Suns (+900)
Phoenix has had it tougher than expected because of injuries. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal have combined to miss 41 games, with Beal accounting for nearly half of those absences.
- Check out the latest NBA Eastern Conference winner odds.
As such, the Suns are 34-24, mere percentage points ahead of New Orleans for the No. 6 seed in the West. Should the Suns fall any further, they’ll be relegated to the postseason play-in tournament.
NBA Western Conference Sleepers
Dallas Mavericks (+1300)
The Mavericks have a fantastic backcourt with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and they wisely bolstered the frontcourt at the trade deadline with the 6-10 Daniel Gafford.
Will all that talent mask their deficiencies on defense? The Mavericks rank just outside the bottom 10 in opponents’ scoring (117.4).
That needs to improve for Dallas to have any shot of going on a deep playoff run.
[pick id="173659"]
Los Angeles Lakers (+1600)
It is never wise to bet against LeBron James. Even at age 39, James continues to produce at an elite level. The four-time MVP and 20-time All-Star is averaging 25 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.9 assists while still handling a big workload at 34.9 minutes per game.
But as we saw last postseason, James and Anthony Davis are capable of carrying the Lakers only so far at this stage in their careers.
Aside from adding Spencer Dinwiddie, the Lakers haven’t given them the help they need.
Past NBA Western Conference Winners
2023: Denver Nuggets
2022: Golden State Warriors
2021: Phoenix Suns
2020: Los Angeles Lakers
2019: Golden State Warriors
2018: Golden State Warriors
2017: Golden State Warriors
2016: Golden State Warriors
2015: Golden State Warriors
2014: San Antonio Spurs