NBA power rankings: Nuggets gaining on Celtics for best NBA title odds
There's one month left in the 2023-24 NBA regular season before the postseason begins with the play-in tournament. It's a close battle for positioning in the playoff field with the current NBA standings showing a tight group in both conferences.
One team's stood out among the rest, though. The Boston Celtics own a league-best 52-14 record at time of publishing and are the only team in the league to clinch a playoff spot as of March 15. They lead a group of four favorites in the odds take home the NBA title this season.
Here's how the latest rankings look with odds from BetMGM:
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1. Boston Celtics (+230)
Boston got back on track on its road trip to open March with a 117-107 win over Phoenix March 9. Three more wins over Portland, Utah, and Phoenix again at home made up for the two consecutive losses to open the month.
The Celtics remain the only team in the NBA to rank in the top three in offensive and defensive rating at 122.8 (first) and 111.4 (second), respectively. They're at or near the top in multiple categories:
First in rebounds per game (46.9)
Second in fewest turnovers per game (12.1)
Second in fewest fouls per game (16.7)
Second in field goal percentage allowed (44.9%)
Third in three-point shooting (38.7%)
They're one of the most complete teams in the league on both ends of the floor. Top scorer Jayson Tatum is an MVP candidate this season but is one of three Celtics scoring more than 20 points per game. Kristaps Porzingis sits 11th in the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) at 23.0 ahead of stars like Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler.
Boston travels to league-worst Washington Sunday. After that, the Celtics close March with seven games featuring just two opponents with winning records (Milwaukee and New Orleans).
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2. Denver Nuggets (+350)
The defending champions continue to climb the Western Conference standings and close the gap to Boston in the process. The Nuggets are now squarely in the fight for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference behind a 10-1 record since the All-Star break.
Star center Nikola Jokić is the easy favorite to win a third MVP behind a league-best 31.2 PER, 13.8 win shares, and 13.6 box plus/minus. Those advanced metrics give him a sizable lead over the field. He's not doing it alone, though. Six Nuggets players are averaging double-digit points per game this season. Jamal Murray's posting career highs in three-point shooting (41.6%) and assists per game (6.3).
Denver's on a four-game road trip that wraps up Tuesday against Minnesota, a fellow Western Conference contender. That matchup - and another two games at home against the Timberwolves in March - will have major playoff positioning ramifications.
3. Los Angeles Clippers (+550)
The Clippers' odds for the NBA title have gotten longer over the last two weeks. Los Angeles is 6-6 since the All-Star break. That's more losses than the stretch between Christmas and All-Star weekend when the team went 19-5.
Those six losses have all come against teams currently in playoff positions in both conferences. The Clippers remain one of the top teams in offensive rating, sitting fourth in the NBA at 119.9, and continue to have one of the better starting five groups in the league on the defensive end with the lineup of James Harden, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Terance Mann, and Ivica Zubac.
Both Leonard and George are dealing with injuries but their next three games are against Atlanta and Portland (twice), both teams with losing records.
4. Milwaukee Bucks (+700)
After a strong start after the All-Star break, the Bucks have gone just 4-3 to start March. Losses against Golden State, the Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento made for a rough road trip.
But two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is still in the MVP conversation this season. He's shooting a career-best 61.6% from the field and averaging a career-best 6.4 assists per game. Milwaukee remains a top team on offense, ranking fourth in the NBA in points per game (120.4) and fifth in offensive rating (119.2). Damian Lillard still leads the league in free throw percentage (92.5%) and has made more three-pointers than all but nine players in the NBA at time of publishing.
Milwaukee has a tough stretch of games in the next week and a half with three of four games against current playoff teams Phoenix, Boston, and the Lakers.
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (+2000)
The Thunder break into the top five in championship odds as they keep pace at the top of the Western Conference. Oklahoma City is 9-3 since the All-Star break behind MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander's second in the NBA in points per game (31.1), first in steals per game (2.1), second in PER (30.4), and second in win shares (13.7). He's not the only one contributing, though, as all five Thunder starters are scoring in double figures per game.
As a team, Oklahoma City leads the league in three-point shooting (39.5%), free throw shooting (83.3%), and blocks per game (6.7). The Thunder are third in offensive rating (120.3) and fifth in defensive rating (112.6). Coach Mark Daigneault is the runaway favorite for Coach of the Year thanks to their standout season.
Oklahoma City has a relatively easy stretch of games over the next 10 days. Only one matchup - March 24 at Milwaukee - of their four games is against a team with a winning record.
Next five: Phoenix Suns (+2500); Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks (+3500)
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Celtics hold lead in NBA power rankings from latest championship odds
