NBA Western Conference Winner Predictions, Odds, Betting Lines 2023

• The Golden State Warriors are the favorites to win the Western Conference this season.
• Last year’s West winners, the Phoenix Suns, fall to third in odds to win the conference.
• The LA Clipper surprise by sitting second in odds to win the West, after finishing ninth last year!

The Western Conference looks to be more unpredictable than ever. Last years contenders will now have to deal with improved teams and the return to health of a certain superstar.

Unsurprisingly, the Golden State Warriors are the favorites to win the Western Conference this year. However, a healthy LA Clippers squad and a motivated Phoenix Suns team will do everything to get back to the top.

Let’s take a closer look at what is one of the most exciting Western Conference’s in recent memory!

Western Conference Winner Odds

Odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Western Conference Winner Pick

Phoenix Suns to Win Western Conference (+210)

Despite the controversy surrounding the Phoenix Suns, there’s no denying that their quality makes them a true contender for the Western Conference crown. They’re a healthy squad with solid depth and many offensive and defensive options. Not to mention, winning the West will be paramount to their Championship aspirations.

Golden State Warriors

Head Coach: Steve Kerr

Key Players: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, James Wiseman

Prediction: Western Conference Title Contender

The Golden State Warriors accomplished their goal last season, winning the NBA Championship in six games against the Boston Celtics. The quality of Curry, Thompson and Green is undeniable, but they’ve not greatly improved after the offseason.

Despite winning the title last season, the Warriors lost key players Otto Porter, Gary Payton II, and Nemanja Bjelica to free agency. They brought in Donte DiVincenzo, but their additions don’t seem to make up for the production of their losses.

Golden State will hope that Thompson can return to peak form this year, but all eyes are on young players James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga. The pair will be thrown into the fire and asked to be regular contributors to remain title and conference contenders.

Phoenix Suns

Head Coach: Monty Williams

Key Players: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, DeAndre Jordan

Prediction: Western Conference Title Contender
Despite making the NBA Finals in 2021, the Phoenix Suns were disappointed to be knocked out of the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. They return for another year, despite their ownership controversy, with continuity and renewed focus.

Key to the Suns’ offseason wasn’t finding new talent in the offseason, but bringing back their key talent. Star men DeAndre Ayton and Devin Booker were inked to new deals, but rugged defenders Bismack Biyombo and Ish Wainwright also find themselves with Phoenix for another year.

The Suns are a fantastic defensive team, one of the best that the NBA has on offer. Combined with their versatile offensive gameplan, the only thing that can stop the Suns is their own execution. After last year’s disappointment, don’t expect Phoenix’s off-court controversy to play a role in their performance.

Denver Nuggets

Head Coach: Michael Malone

Key Players: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr.

Prediction: Western Conference Title Contender
Nikola Jokic’s back-to-back MVP awards put a consolation on what was two seasons of post-season disappointment. While the Nuggets were excellent under Jokic’s lead, the return of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. has the potential to send them to the top.

Denver didn’t make a big splash this offseason, reinforcing their roster with veterans Ish Smith, DeAndre Jordan, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The added depth should help their regular season campaign, where they struggled last season.

Having a healthy roster will be crucial to the Denver Nuggets’ success this year. While their ultimate goal is the NBA Championship, home court throughout the playoffs is crucial to the Nuggets’ chances.

LA Clippers

Head Coach: Tyronn Lue

Key Players: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Norman Powell

Prediction: Top Six
Despite their lack of success last season, the LA Clippers showed that they have a ton of heart. While that didn’t translate to wins, it did suggest that Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have an impressive team to come back to.

Despite winning 42 games last season, the LA Clippers were unable to sneak their way into the post-season via the NBA Play-In Tournament. However with a healthy Kawhi Leonard to lead their offence and Paul George playing deputy, all of a sudden they become one of the most threatening teams in the West.

LA’s lack of offensive talent was apparent last season, but they still produced on of the league’s top ten defences. With those standards, plus some rejuvenated superstars, the LA Clippers can make a surprise bid for the conference title.

Los Angeles Lakers

Head Coach: Darvin Ham

Key Players: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook

Prediction: Top Six

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to bounce back from a season of mediocrity. While their team is still surrounded by the drama of their losing year, they’ve also returned with a healthy Anthony Davis and LeBron James.

All eyes will be on new head coach Darvin Ham and how he will implement his ideas into the Lakers team. LeBron James leads the line, but there will need to be total buy in if he hopes to get back into title contention. There’s a lot to make up for, as the Lakers were in the bottom third of offence and defence last season.

A full season of Anthony Davis and a re-energized Russell Westbrook may just change the Lakers’ expectations. With a focus on defensive improvement through their offseason acquisitions – Schroder, Beverly, Bryant – Los Angeles certainly have the ability to improve on last year.

Dallas Mavericks

Head Coach: Jason Kidd

Key Players: Luka Doncic, Christian Wood, Spencer Dinwiddie

Prediction: Top Six

Blessing your feed with almost three minutes of @luka7doncic mic’d up ? You’re welcome.#MFFL pic.twitter.com/15VngTDYKx

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) October 4, 2022

The Dallas Mavericks didn’t have a spectacular offseason, unfortunately contrasting how they finished their last post-season campaign. While Dallas may not have made a big splash in free agency, the Mavericks look more than competent with Luka Doncic at the lead and a great group of role players.

While Dallas lost their key point guard in Jalen Brunson, they were able to reinforce their frontcourt with versatile forward Christian Wood. With improvements to the frontcourt and Spencer Dinwiddie taking on a larger role, the Mavericks hope they can relieve Doncic of some offensive responsibility.

Dallas’ calling card last season was their excellent three-point defence, something they hope to carry over into their 2022-23 campaign. They don’t project to have the depth to compete with the top of the West, but their balance could make them surprise competitors.