2020-2021 Pacific Division Winner Odds & Predictions
- The Los Angeles Lakers are the odds on favorite to win the Pacific Division this season!
- Second in odds to win the Pacific Division is the LA Clippers.
- The Pacific Division had two playoff teams last season. Experts predict the 2020-2021 season could see as many as four representatives from the division.
The NBA regular season is growing closer to tip-off and the odds are out on which teams look to be successful and which seem like heavy underdogs. The Pacific Division looks to be more competitive than ever, with the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers at the top of the pack.
Last year’s disappointments the LA Clippers follow closely behind, with a revamped frontcourt and returning stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George hopeful to make a stronger impression this season. The Clippers also open the season as the second in odds to win the NBA Championship.
While the Sacramento Kings still look to be bottom feeders in the West and in the Pacific Division, two others seem to rise up as challengers for the divisional crown. The Golden State Warriors may not have Klay Thompson for a second consecutive year, but a healthy Steph Curry and Draymond Green, along with second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft James Wiseman look to fill the void. The Phoenix Suns also look to improve on their spectacular run in the bubble with eventual Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul leading their offense.
2020-2021 Pacific Division Winner Odds
Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook, updated on April 6, 2021.
| Team | Odds |
| LA Clippers | -125 BET NOW |
| Phoenix Suns | -112 BET NOW |
| LA Lakers | +1800 BET NOW |
| Golden State Warriors | +50000 BET NOW |
| Sacramento Kings | +50000 BET NOW |
Odds from BetMGM. Get up to a $500 sign-up bonus at BetMGM today or check out more offers and promo codes for the best online sportsbooks.
WSN’s Pick:
When it comes down to it, the Los Angeles Lakers have the most talent of any team in the Pacific Division. While the Clippers come close, the load management schedule of Kawhi Leonard will always be a detriment to a team’s regular-season success. While the Suns and Warriors are improved, they still don’t look like a force to challenge for the division crown.
Los Angeles Lakers (+1800)
19-20 Team Performance
| Record | PPG | Opp PPG | Pace | Off Rtg | Def Rtg |
| 52-19 | 113.4 (11 of 30) | 107.6 (4 of 30) | 100.9 (11 of 30) | 112.0 (11 of 30) | 106.3 (3 of 30) |
First day of training camp ☑️
On to the next one. pic.twitter.com/HHRVEHvHHA— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 7, 2020
The Los Angeles Lakers open the season as the favorites to win the Pacific Division. As the reigning champions, their place at the top of the odds table is warranted. After re-signing Anthony Davis to a long-term contract and extending LeBron James for another two years, it doesn’t look as if the Lakers will be struggling for wins anytime soon.
With only about two months of rest time between their title-winning match, the Lakers have had the least amount of days off since the previous season. Couple that with a more veteran roster than last season and the Lakers won’t be shy about giving some of their veterans the odd match-off – especially during this condensed schedule.
The Lakers look like the favorites due to their roster and experience, but they are certainly a team built for the post-season. With a condensed schedule, expect Los Angeles to take a fair number of tactical “games off”. Whether or not their newfound additions in Montrezl Harrell, Marc Gasol, and Dennis Schroder can make the difference for them.
LA Clippers (-125)
19-20 Team Performance
| Record | PPG | Opp PPG | Pace | Off Rtg | Def Rtg |
| 49-23 | 116.3 (4 of 30) | 109.9 (13 of 30) | 101.5 (8 of 30) | 113.9 (2 of 30) | 107.6 (5 of 30) |
Clipper Fans: Here’s a video of Serge Ibaka shooting a three to make you happy.
?: @LAClippers pic.twitter.com/qUc58W7TdK
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) December 8, 2020
Let’s rehash the obvious one more time, the LA Clippers were the most disappointing team of the 2019-2020 NBA Playoffs. Despite their wealth of talent and confidence, the Clippers gave up a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets and were eliminated in the second round. They’ll look to bounce back this season.
The Clippers lost reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell, but gained 2019 NBA Champion Serge Ibaka to take his place. Add to that veteran Nicolas Batum and the Clippers made impactful though limited additions to their roster. Under new coach Tyronn Lue, the Clippers will be hoping an extra season of familiarity will spur their stars on to improved success.
The condensed schedule doesn’t favour the Clippers. On top of being in an improved division, the Clippers are notorious for having to manage the health of Kawhi Leonard through his infamous “load management” schedule.
Golden State Warriors (+50000)
19-20 Team Performance
| Record | PPG | Opp PPG | Pace | Off Rtg | Def Rtg |
| 15-50 | 106.3 (26 of 30) | 115.0 (24 of 30) | 100.3 (15 of 30) | 105.2 (30 of 30) | 113.8 (26 of 30) |
poetry in motion pic.twitter.com/kZhxR8OtUZ
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 3, 2020
It was a cruel twist of fate for the Golden State Warriors as they not only relinquished their crown to the Toronto Raptors in 2019 but lost Klay Thompson to injury and Kevin Durant to free agency. They enter this season with more optimism, despite the a setback in Thompson’s recovery which will see him miss his second consecutive season.
The Warriors have some hope this season, as a healthy Stephen Curry is enough to spur any team into playoff contention. Head coach Steve Kerr will have to adjust his game plan though, as their talent pool is shallower than in recent years. Their most exciting addition, rookie center James Wiseman, will be looked at to make an impact early with Stephen Curry’s limited secondary scoring options.
The Warriors are sure to improve on their league-worst record last season, but we don’t expect it to be enough to catch either the Lakers or the Clippers at the top of the division. They have some interesting new pieces in Kelly Oubre Jr and Andrew Wiggins, but it doesn’t project to be enough to push them to the top of the division.
Phoenix Suns (-112)
19-20 Team Performance
| Record | PPG | Opp PPG | Pace | Off Rtg | Def Rtg |
| 34-39 | 113.6 (10 of 30) | 113.4 (20 of 30) | 101.3 (10 of 30) | 111.7 (12 of 30) | 111.4 (17 of 30) |
.@CP3 is seeing firsthand why the @Suns went 8-0 in Orlando.
The 2020-21 NBA Season Starts Christmas Week with Games Beginning Tuesday, December 22. #KiaTipOff20 pic.twitter.com/pp1FmrZBUs
— NBA (@NBA) December 8, 2020
The Phoenix Suns have made some big moves over the offseason and it is all in hopes of retaining star guard Devin Booker. Head coach Monty Williams finally has the point guard he needs and it comes in the form of perennial All-Star and eventual Hall of Famer Chris Paul.
The Suns are pushing for the NBA Playoffs this season as they look to build on what was an undefeated run in the NBA bubble. While they lost Aron Baynes they’ll look for production in tenth overall pick Jalen Smith. The departure of Baynes suggests a move to a small-ball line-up, leaving questions for DeAndre Ayton’s role.
Paul will bring the on-court leadership needed by the Suns as they not only aim to make the playoffs but also look to make a decent run at the championship. They don’t have the depth to do so, but it is a step in the right direction for success and the retention of Devin Booker.
Sacramento Kings (+50000)
19-20 Team Performance
| Record | PPG | Opp PPG | Pace | Off Rtg | Def Rtg |
| 31-41 | 110.1 (22 of 30) | 112.1 (17 of 30) | 98.9 (20 of 30) | 110.2 (18 of 30) | 112.2 (20 of 30) |
De’Aaron Fox (@swipathefox) on loving Sacramento and wanting to bring a winning mentality to the franchise.
The 2020-21 NBA season tips off December 22nd #KiaTipOff20 pic.twitter.com/qSNAgEV14X
— NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2020
The Sacramento Kings are merely treading water at this point. Without any significant additions or improvements to the team, there doesn’t expect to be much competition coming from Luke Walton’s side. De’Aaron Fox continues to look like a star in the making, but time will tell if he can make the jump fast enough for the Kings to challenge the best in the Pacific.
The biggest story out of Sacramento lies in the loss of Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Atlanta Hawks. After a trade to the Bucks was nixed, the Kings received nothing in return for losing their sharpshooting guard. Buddy Hield will continue to be Fox’s designated number two option, while improvements from Marvin Bagley III and the return of Hassan Whiteside will need to cover their lack of depth upfront.
The future is not now for the Kings, as they project to be one of the weakest teams in the Pacific as well as the Western Conference. Unless Fox and Bagley take a tremendous leap this season, Sacramento is expected to struggle once again this year.
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Christian Jope
Expert on NBA
Christian Jope is a writer, social media strategist, and data analyst. A Queen’s University Alumni, Christian is an author and social media strategist with Raptors Cage, while also working closely with MLSE and Canada Basketball through community-driven events.
Email: [email protected]
