2021-22 NBA Championship predictions and tips: Buck stops with Milwaukee

Free basketball tips, best bets and analysis for the 2021-22 NBA season, which starts on Tuesday.

Best bets

Milwaukee Bucks
2pts each-way 8-1 general

Phoenix Suns
1pt each-way 16-1 bet365, Betfred

Philadelphia 76ers
1pt each-way 20-1 bet365

Season preview

This time last year, the Los Angeles Lakers captured a record-tying 17th NBA championship. And that was two seasons ago. That’s right; the NBA has been packing schedules into short time frames amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, and now another season is ready to begin following the Milwaukee Bucks’ triumph this summer.

The Lakers and Bucks are among the favourites heading into the 2021-22 campaign, but the top spot in the betting belongs to the Brooklyn Nets. Although the Nets and Lakers are powerhouses on paper, plenty of surprises took place throughout both the regular season and the playoffs in 2020-21 and there is no reason why upsets can’t happen again.

It should be another interesting season in the NBA.

Top pick for the 2021-22 NBA Championship

Milwaukee Bucks

The Nets and Lakers boast the best rosters. Regardless of Kyrie Irving’s status — which is in limbo due to the NBA’s vaccination policy — Brooklyn are still loaded with the likes of James Harden and Kevin Durant.

The Lakers added Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony to the core of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Still, at odds of 5-2 and 4-1, it’s hard to bite on those teams right now.

Go with a more reliable Milwaukee squad at much longer odds all day long.

When you can get the defending NBA champions who have largely the same team intact at 8-1, it’s a chance that has to be worth taking.

The Bucks lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy last season even though Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a hyperextended knee in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks and Donte DiVincenzo missed the entire playoffs.

Sure Milwaukee got a bit of luck when Brooklyn lost Irving in their second-round series and other top teams were upset early, but all teams need some good fortune on their way to a title.

Next best bet

Phoenix Suns

You could argue that picking the two defending conference champions is boring, but the odds say otherwise.

Neither the Bucks nor the Suns are expected to make a return trip to the NBA Finals.

Suns star Chris Paul is 36 years old but extremely durable - when you compare him to the Lakers’ stars he is definitely more reliable than Davis and arguably more than LeBron.

Devin Booker is only getting better, as are several other youngsters in the Suns’ rotation. There is no reason why Phoenix can’t make another run at it.

Longshot bet

Philadelphia 76ers

It’s weird to even see the Philadelphia 76ers in the same sentence as “longshot,” but alas they are starting the season at 20-1 to win the NBA title. Given the roster at their disposal, they are tough to pass up at the odds.

Right now is it hard to imagine the Sixers winning it all? Yes. But the NBA Finals aren’t being played today. You have to consider what might be the situation next summer.

Joel Embiid is one of the two best big men in the game and Tobias Harris is a nice complementary piece.

Sure Ben Simmons is a massive question mark, but he is too talented to give up on. It’s looking like Simmons will be back, so Philadelphia capturing the title is not as hard to imagine as the odds suggest.

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