The 2022-23 NBA season has hit its theoretical halfway mark with the All-Star break.
The 2023 NBA All-Star break began last February 17th and will end on Thursday, February 22, with 9 games slated on that date.
Although the All-Star festivities are dubbed as the midseason classic, teams have already played much more than the 42 games which are the actual one-half of an 82-game regular season.
For example, the Cleveland Cavaliers are 38-23 or have already played a total of 61 games. Most teams have played 59-57 games but regardless of the actual count, all teams have played more than half of the actual regular season.
Because of this, we consider the return of action later this week as the homestretch of the season, with teams jockeying for playoff position and other squads trying to either get into playoff position or enter play-in tournament territory.
Regardless, it’s going to be busy starting Thursday so we will make use of the break to check on the NBA title odds, team standings, and strength of the remaining schedule, while also making our picks for the season.
Here are the 2023 NBA championship odds at the All-Star Break. Odds are taken from BetOnline.ag:
**All other teams have 2023 NBA championship odds of 10000+ or longer.
Now let’s take a look at where the teams stand as of the All-Star break. Keep in mind that only the Top 6 seeds have outright entry to the playoffs while seeds 7 to 10 will be sent to the Play-in Tournament to determine which teams will earn the final two seeds in the playoffs.
| TEAM | W | L | WIN% | DIV | HOME | ROAD | OT | LAST10 | STREAK | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Boston Celtics | 42 | 17 | .712 | — | 25-12 | 8-1 | 24-7 | 18-10 | 3-5 | 7-3 | W 1 |
| 2.Milwaukee Bucks | 41 | 17 | .707 | 0.5 | 23-13 | 8-4 | 24-5 | 17-12 | 3-1 | 10-0 | W 12 |
| 3.Philadelphia 76ers | 38 | 19 | .667 | 3 | 22-13 | 7-5 | 23-8 | 15-11 | 3-1 | 7-3 | W 4 |
| 4.Cleveland Cavaliers | 38 | 23 | .623 | 5 | 22-11 | 11-3 | 25-6 | 13-17 | 6-0 | 8-2 | L 1 |
| 5.Brooklyn Nets | 34 | 24 | .586 | 7.5 | 24-13 | 6-7 | 18-11 | 16-13 | 0-1 | 5-5 | W 1 |
| 6.New York Knicks | 33 | 27 | .550 | 9.5 | 23-16 | 5-8 | 16-15 | 17-12 | 3-6 | 6-4 | W 3 |
| 7.Miami Heat | 32 | 27 | .542 | 10 | 15-17 | 7-3 | 19-10 | 13-17 | 3-1 | 5-5 | L 2 |
| 8.Atlanta Hawks | 29 | 30 | .492 | 13 | 17-19 | 5-5 | 15-12 | 14-18 | 3-1 | 4-6 | L 2 |
| 9.Washington Wizards | 28 | 30 | .483 | 13.5 | 15-17 | 6-3 | 14-12 | 14-18 | 1-1 | 6-4 | W 2 |
| 10.Toronto Raptors | 28 | 31 | .475 | 14 | 17-19 | 4-9 | 18-13 | 10-18 | 1-3 | 6-4 | W 2 |
| 11.Chicago Bulls | 26 | 33 | .441 | 16 | 20-20 | 5-7 | 16-13 | 10-20 | 1-4 | 3-7 | L 6 |
| 12.Indiana Pacers | 26 | 34 | .433 | 16.5 | 18-17 | 4-5 | 18-14 | 8-20 | 0-1 | 2-8 | W 1 |
| 13.Orlando Magic | 24 | 35 | .407 | 18 | 12-25 | 3-8 | 14-15 | 10-20 | 1-2 | 5-5 | L 1 |
| 14.Charlotte Hornets | 17 | 43 | .283 | 25.5 | 9-29 | 6-8 | 9-18 | 8-25 | 1-4 | 3-7 | W 2 |
| 15.Detroit Pistons | 15 | 44 | .254 | 27 | 6-27 | 0-9 | 8-21 | 7-23 | 3-1 | 3-7 | L 2 |
Looking at the East team standings, the 10th ranked Raptors are just 4.5 games off the 6th seed so there could still be a movement for that final outright playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Bulls at no. 11 and the Pacers at no. 12 are just 2 and 2.5 games off the 10th seed so they are still within play-in tournament range.
| TEAM | W | L | WIN% | DIV | HOME | ROAD | OT | LAST10 | STREAK | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Denver Nuggets | 41 | 18 | .695 | — | 29-11 | 10-5 | 27-4 | 14-14 | 2-0 | 7-3 | W 3 |
| 2.Memphis Grizzlies | 35 | 22 | .614 | 5 | 17-16 | 6-2 | 24-5 | 11-17 | 2-0 | 4-6 | W 1 |
| 3.Sacramento Kings | 32 | 25 | .561 | 8 | 20-13 | 5-6 | 17-12 | 15-13 | 3-0 | 5-5 | L 1 |
| 4.LA Clippers | 33 | 28 | .541 | 9 | 19-16 | 6-4 | 15-13 | 18-15 | 2-1 | 6-4 | W 2 |
| 5.Phoenix Suns | 32 | 28 | .533 | 9.5 | 21-15 | 9-1 | 20-10 | 12-18 | 1-3 | 7-3 | L 1 |
| 6.Dallas Mavericks | 31 | 29 | .517 | 10.5 | 23-16 | 7-2 | 19-10 | 12-19 | 3-4 | 5-5 | L 3 |
| 7.New Orleans Pelicans | 30 | 29 | .508 | 11 | 19-15 | 7-4 | 20-10 | 10-19 | 2-4 | 4-6 | L 1 |
| 8.Minnesota Timberwolves | 31 | 30 | .508 | 11 | 22-19 | 8-7 | 20-13 | 11-17 | 1-2 | 5-5 | L 1 |
| 9.Golden State Warriors | 29 | 29 | .500 | 11.5 | 17-14 | 4-6 | 22-7 | 7-22 | 1-3 | 5-5 | L 1 |
| 10.OKC Thunder | 28 | 29 | .491 | 12 | 15-17 | 5-6 | 17-12 | 11-17 | 2-3 | 5-5 | W 1 |
| 11.Utah Jazz | 29 | 31 | .483 | 12.5 | 19-18 | 4-6 | 18-12 | 11-19 | 3-0 | 4-6 | L 1 |
| 12.Portland Trail Blazers | 28 | 30 | .483 | 12.5 | 20-16 | 5-8 | 16-14 | 12-16 | 2-0 | 5-5 | L 1 |
| 13.Los Angeles Lakers | 27 | 32 | .458 | 14 | 14-20 | 2-9 | 14-14 | 13-18 | 2-4 | 4-6 | W 1 |
| 14.San Antonio Spurs | 14 | 45 | .237 | 27 | 5-30 | 2-7 | 9-21 | 5-24 | 0-3 | 0-10 | L 14 |
| 15.Houston Rockets | 13 | 45 | .224 | 27.5 | 7-31 | 1-8 | 8-20 | 5-25 | 1-0 | 2-8 | L 7 |
The West is a much closer race with the no. 3 Kings are just 6 games up on the no. 13 Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings are also just 3 games up on the 8th-seeded Timberwolves so we could see plenty of teams moving in and out of the Top 6. Right now, only the Nuggets and Grizzlies are in good places although Memphis is just 3 up on the Kings.
Aside from the teams’ current places in the team standings, it is important to take a look at them ranked by the strength of the remaining schedule. The strength of remain schedule represents the aggregate winning percentage of a team’s remaining opponents.
Eastern Conference:
The Bulls and Pacers have the Top 5 easiest schedules and these teams are looking outside the Top 10 right now. Given that the Hawks and Nets have the Top 5 most difficult schedules, there could be changes in the no. 7-10 spots in the East. The Celtics and Bucks have fairly easy schedules but the Sixers at no.3 have the most difficult remaining schedule in the East.
Western Conference:
As we saw above, the Kings are in third place but are just 6 games ahead of the 13th seed. With the second toughest remaining schedule in the West, there’s a chance that Sacramento could fall in the standings. The Clippers and the Suns have two of the three-toughest schedules in the West. This could mean they could still drop outside the Top 4. Meanwhile, the Wolves could fall out of the Top 10 too. Interestingly, the Lakers have the 4th easiest schedule. They are just 3 games off the 8th seed so they could be a team to watch during the second half of the season.
Looking at the odds boards, there are four teams with 2023 NBA championship odds shorter than +1000 at the All-Star break and these four are considered the title favorites.
The Boston Celtics have spent most of the season as the 2023 NBA champion favorites. After starting the season with a mediocre 4-3 SU record, the Celtics have been on fire. They have since posted two 9-game winning streaks and are 42-17 SU at the break. The Celtics have won 7 out of their last 10 games played and there are no signs of them slowing down.
Jayson Tatum won All-Star MVP honors last Sunday while Jaylen Brown is also coming off an All-Star game appearance. The Celtics have vastly improved with the addition of Malcolm Brogdon. It’s scary to see this team play so well even if they have not played Danilo Gallinari and Robert Williams has been in and out with injuries.
Boston was two wins away from winning the 2022 NBA title and everyone knew they were out for vengeance this year. But perhaps nobody thought they would be this good. Tatum and Brown are having fantastic seasons. If this team gets healthy in the playoffs, opponents are in trouble.
The Suns were in the position that the Celtics are right now last season. Phoenix was also two wins away from winning its first-ever NBA title in 2021 but the Milwaukee Bucks won four straight games and the Suns went home empty-handed. Last season, the Suns had a very strong start and finished with the league’s best record at 64-18. However, Phoenix was ambushed in the second round by Luka and the Mavericks.
This season, the Suns had a good start but after Devin Booker got hurt, the team has had an up-and-down ride. Then Phoenix acquired Kevin Durant at the trade deadline and now they are considered among the favorites to win the title. KD has yet to play one game though as he is still rehabbing his injury.
The last time out, Durant said that he expects to return soon after the break, but still no exact date. No question that Durant is one of the league’s best scorers. However, it remains to be seen how he jells with the rest of the team. Phoenix also lost key players in the Durant trade. It will be interesting to see how they deal with the loss of depth.
The Bucks are the hottest team in the NBA right now. They entered the All-Star break armed with a 12-game winning streak. The Bucks won the NBA title in 2021 but last season, they were unable to defend it as they were ousted by the Celtics. It was a close 7-game series though and you could argue that if they played it again, there’s a chance the Bucks could have won.
Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to improve and because of that, the Bucks are top contenders once again. Milwaukee has added the likes of Jevon Carter, Joe Ingles, and Jae Crowder to help their resident players in their quest to return to the top.
The Bucks have dealt with injuries to key players this season, including Antetokounmpo as of late. Giannis did not play in the second half of the 2023 NBA All-Star game as he continues to deal with a wrist injury, although nothing is serious. If the Bucks get healthy, their experience should make them a tough out in the playoffs.
The Denver Nuggets are the surprise Western Conference leaders at the midway point of the season. And in a tight Western Conference race, Denver has established a good lead against its rivals, thanks mainly to the spectacular play of Nikola Jokic.
Jokic is staring at becoming the first player to win three straight MVP awards since Larry Bird in the 80s. The Joker is averaging a triple-double while leading the NBA in assists. The Nuggets currently hold a five-game lead over the Grizzlies in the West and are 11 games up in the Northwest Division team standings.
Denver acquired Reggie Jackson at the trade deadline to get more experience. With Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope providing Jokic with the support, this year could be the one where the Nuggets get over the hump.
Among the favorites, we like the Boston Celtics although they have the shortest title odds at the All-Star break. Boston has been consistent since that sluggish 4-3 start and both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are having spectacular seasons. Tatum looks like he s gotten more mature and patient this season. If the Celtics get healthy in the playoffs, no doubt they are my pick to win it all.
The LA Clippers at +1200 to me provide the best betting value. The Clippers missed the playoffs last season but two seasons ago, they made it to the Western Conference Finals. With Kawhi Leonard finally healthy, the Clippers are poised to make a deep playoff run.
They are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games played and although they have the toughest remaining schedule in the league, they are linked to Russell Westbrook. They have also acquired veteran Eric Gordon and young talent Bones Hyland. If Kawhi stays healthy, the Clippers could be the team to watch.
The LA Lakers at +2500 are intriguing. Talent-wise, they have gotten better after the trade deadline. But aside from the injury history of AD, not many bettors will take a chance on the Lakers. If the Lakers open the second half of the season with say five straight wins and they get on a roll, watch out for this team. If they continue to play so-so after five games, forget about the Lakers.
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