There is one month left in the 2023-24 NBA regular season before the postseason begins with the play-in tournament. In the current NBA standings, both conferences are in close groups, making it a close battle for a spot in the playoffs.
However, one team stood out among the rest. The Boston Celtics hold the league's best record at the time of this article's publication, at 52 wins and 14 losses, and are the only team in the league with a playoff berth as of March 15th. They lead a group of four championship favorites in their chances of winning the NBA title this year. season.
Here are the latest rankings considering BetMGM's odds.
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1. Boston Celtics (+230)
Boston defeated Phoenix 117-107 on March 9, getting back on track for a road trip to begin March. They also opened the month with three wins at home against Portland, Utah, and Phoenix, making up for two consecutive losses.
The Celtics remain the only team in the NBA to rank in the top three in offensive and defensive ratings at 122.8 (1st) and 111.4 (2nd), respectively. They are at or near the top in multiple categories.
- 1st in rebounds per game (46.9)
- Second fewest turnovers per game (12.1)
- Second fewest fouls per game (16.7)
- 2nd in field goal percentage (44.9%)
- 3rd in 3-point shooting (38.7%)
They are one of the most complete teams in the league on both ends of the floor. Leading scorer Jayson Tatum, an MVP candidate this season, is one of three Celtics players scoring at least 20 points per game. Kristaps Porzingis ranks 11th in the NBA with a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 23.0, ahead of stars such as Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler.
Boston faces league-worst Washington on Sunday. The Celtics then finish March with seven games against only two opponents with winning records (Milwaukee and New Orleans).
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The defending champions continue to climb up the Western Conference standings, closing the gap on Boston in the process. The Nuggets are currently 10-1 since the All-Star break and are squarely in contention for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
Star center Nikola Jokic is the easy favorite to win a third MVP award, with a league-best PER of 31.2, winning percentage of 13.8, and box plus/minus of 13.6. These advanced metrics allow him to gain a significant lead on the field. However, he's not doing it alone. Six Nuggets players are averaging double-digit points per game this season. Jamal Murray set career highs in 3-point shooting percentage (41.6%) and assists per game (6.3).
Denver is on a four-game road trip that concludes Tuesday against fellow Western Conference contender Minnesota. This matchup, and two more home games against the Timberwolves in March, will have a big impact on the playoff standings.
The Clippers' odds to win the NBA title have gotten longer over the past two weeks. Los Angeles is 6-6 since the All-Star break. That's more losses than the period from Christmas to All-Star weekend, when the team was 19-5.
All six of these losses were against teams currently in the playoff picture in both conferences. The Clippers remain one of the top teams in offensive rating, ranking fourth in the NBA at 119.9, and defensively they have one of the best stars in the league with a lineup of James Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard. continues to be one of the top five groups. , Terrence Mann, Ivica Zubac.
Leonard and George have both struggled with injuries, but the next three games are against Atlanta and Portland (twice), both teams with losing records.
The Bucks got off to a strong start after the All-Star break, with a record of just 4 wins and 3 losses through the start of March. It was a tough road with losses to Golden State, Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento.
However, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo remains a candidate for MVP this season. He is shooting a career-high 61.6 percent from the field and averaging a career-high 6.4 assists per game. Milwaukee remains a top team offensively, 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 as of the publication of this article he has made more 3-pointers than all but nine players in the NBA. I am.
Milwaukee has a tough stretch of games over the next week and a half, with three of four games against current playoff teams Phoenix, Boston and the Lakers.
The Thunder are on pace to lead the Western Conference and are in the top five in odds to win. Oklahoma City is 9-3 since the All-Star break behind MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander ranks 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 of the Thunder's starters are scoring double-digit points per game.
As a team, Oklahoma City leads the league in 3-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 overwhelming favorite for Coach of the Year thanks to his outstanding season.
Oklahoma City has a relatively easy stretch of games over the next 10 days. Of the four games, only one, against Milwaukee on March 24th, 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)
