Our NBA Power Rankings will keep you informed on the league’s changing landscape throughout the season. Each week we will provide valuable updates on where each team stands to help you place the right bets on games and look beyond current records to analyze each team’s potential to win an NBA title.
The 2021-22 NBA season tipped off on Oct. 19 with an 82-game slate playing out in full for the first time in two seasons. With the league back on a typical calendar, the regular season will run to April 10, followed by the play-in tournament from April 12-15. The first round starts on April 16 and the NBA Finals are scheduled to run from June 2 to June 17 (if necessary).
NBA Power Rankings (January 13)
Here are Nate Weitzer’s NBA Power Rankings as of Thursday, Jan. 13.
1. Brooklyn Nets (): Kyrie Irving is playing in road games and the Nets have looked virtually unbeatable during two wins with their Big Three active. They remain the favorites to win it all with +245 title odds at DraftKings Sportsbook.
2. Memphis Grizzlies (): Not only are the Grizzlies the hottest team in the NBA with elite metrics on both sides of the ball, they’ve also scored signature wins over the Warriors, Nets, and Suns during their double-digit win streak.
3. Phoenix Suns (): After starting the season with nine straight wins against the Eastern Conference, the Suns have stumbled in losses to the Celtics and Heat. Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder recently came off the COVID List and Cam Johnson is having a breakout year off the bench.
4. Golden State Warriors (): Draymond Green (calf) has been out of the lineup and Klay Thompson has understandably required some time to get back into the flow of things after 31 months off. Once those guys get it going and Steph Curry breaks out of his mini slump, the Warriors should return to their status as the top team in the league this season.
5. Utah Jazz (): Utah has gone 1-4 with Rudy Gobert (shoulder, illness) sidelined and they’re allowing opponents to shoot a league-high 50.2% from the floor during that span. That pretty much settles the argument of which player is the most valuable member of the Jazz.
6. Milwaukee Bucks (): Jrue Holiday (ankle) continues to serve as a barometer for the defending champs as they’ve gone 3-7 without him and 23-10 while scoring nearly 10 more PPG (114.1) when he’s active. The Bucks recently got Donte DiVicenzo (ankle) back and should showcase their depth during the second half of the season.
7. Philadelphia 76ers (): Joel Embiid is asserting himself into the MVP race with 31-plus in eight straight games, leading the 76ers to an 8-2 record over their last 10 contests. Tyrese Maxey is breaking out, Seth Curry is finding his niche, and the Sixers could still flip Ben Simmons to become a true contender if the right deal comes along.
8. Miami Heat (): With Jimmy Butler (ankle) and Bam Adebayo (thumb) both out, the Heat have earned three straight road wins, including two in tough spots at Phoenix and Atlanta, with the best net rating (17.4) in basketball during that span. Both stars are practicing and will return soon.
9. Chicago Bulls (): The Bulls led the league in nearly every offensive category during a 9-1 stretch, yet they didn’t beat many full-strength teams in that span, and got shut down by the Mavericks before getting rolled at home by the Nets.
10. Dallas Mavericks (): Dallas won six straight, including five with Luka Doncic (ankle, illness) back in the lineup, before going ice cold from the perimeter in a rough loss at the Knicks.
11. Charlotte Hornets (): The Hornets beat the Bucks twice and snapped a 16-game losing skid while ending Philadelphia’s 7-game win streak this week. Miles Bridges (COVID) has resumed his breakout campaign and Charlotte’s defense has actually progressed towards the middle of the league.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers (): Making a deal for Rajon Rondo to replace Ricky Rubio (ACL) indicates how serious the Cavs’ front office is about this young team. They’re firmly entrenched in the Eastern Conference playoff picture with a 14-9 record against their conference and a 13-9 record on the road overall.
13. Denver Nuggets (): Denver has been playing at a snail’s pace while leaning on strong team defense and a healthy dose of Nikola Jokic on offense to stay afloat in the West. They’ve topped out with a win at Golden State, and hit rock bottom with a blowout loss at OKC.
14. Los Angeles Lakers (): Malik Monk has sparked the Lakers offense and they lead the league in efficiency over their last eight games. They’ve dropped three of those contests, though, due to the eighth-worst defensive rating in that span and the continued struggles of Russell Westbrook.
15. Boston Celtics (): A frustratingly inconsistent team that is playing under a rookie HC, the Celtics have started to show signs of cohesion with both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown topping 30 points in a comfortable win over the Pacers. Boston has coughed up four leads of 19 points or more and is badly in need of veteran leadership.
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (): With Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards all back in the lineup, the Wolves offense has erupted with the top offensive rating (127.7) in basketball while averaging 133.7 PPG over their last three outings.
17. Toronto Raptors (): The Raptors were giving up 122.3 PPG over their last four games with backups suiting up due to a rough COVID outbreak, but came out of that rough patch with an impressive 6-game win streak and a tough battle in a loss to the Suns.
18. Los Angeles Clippers (): Tyronn Lue’s bunch has been scrappy without Paul George (elbow) and Kawhi Leonard (ACL), as second-round picks and UDFA like Terance Mann and Amir Coffey keep the Clips near the top of the league in defensive metrics.
19. New Orleans Pelicans (): Josh Hart helped change the Pelicans identity and Brandon Ingram has returned from an Achilles injury with new life. The Pels have won six of their last eight at home.
20. Atlanta Hawks (): One could argue that the Hawks have been hit harder by COVID protocols than any team in the NBA, yet that does little to explain their sub-500 start, which has contributed to them sitting outside the playoff picture at 17-23.
21. New York Knicks (): Evan Fournier went nuclear to lead an unlikely comeback over the Celtics last Thursday. But the Knicks offense continues to struggle with Julius Randle regressing, and getting into beef with their fickle fans.
22. Washington Wizards (): The Wizards are still allowing the fewest 3PTM (10.8) and fewest fastbreak PPG (9.8) on the season. However, they’re also hitting the fewest threes (10.1) and scoring the second-fewest fastbreak PPG (8.9) offensively.
23. Sacramento Kings (): After dropping six of seven games, the Kings clapped back at the Lakers with a close win on Wednesday night. They’re still a few games out of the playoff picture at 17-27 and own a modest 6-13 record on the road.
24. San Antonio Spurs (): COVID hit the Spurs during their annual Rodeo Road Trip, which could prove to be a blessing in disguise if they can get back on track with eight of their next nine games at home.
25. Indiana Pacers (): The Pacers have dropped eight of their last nine against excellent competition, and only managed to pull out a win over Utah because Rudy Gobert was inactive.
26. Portland Trail Blazers (): Damian Lillard (abdomen) will miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing surgery and CJ McCollum (lung) has yet to return despite being medically cleared. Portland could become a seller ahead of the trade deadline and could look to tank down the stretch.
27. Houston Rockets (): The Rockets own the worst net rating (-12.6) and second-worst defensive rating (120.1) while playing at a blinding pace over their last 10 games. Their supposed leaders, Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr., have reportedly caused problems with the new coaching staff.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder (): Josh Giddey is showing some promise and OKC is a solid 7-13 since the start of December despite averaging just 101.6 PPG in those games.
29. Detroit Pistons (): Even with Jerami Grant (thumb) and Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) out, the Pistons have jumped up to score surprising wins over the struggling Bucks and Jazz in recent weeks. They’ve also come back to earth quickly with blowout losses to the Hornets and Bulls.
30. Orlando Magic (): Now on their second double-digit losing streak of the season, the Magic are sporting the worst net rating (-12.5) by far in home games.
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Pre-season rankings
Here are what our pre-season NBA Power Rankings looked like on Wednesday, Oct. 13. Pre-season NBA title odds are also listed.
- Brooklyn Nets +200
- Milwaukee Bucks +900
- LA Lakers +400
- Utah Jazz +1500
- Phoenix Suns +1700
- Philadelphia 76ers +2000
- Denver Nuggets +2000
- Miami Heat +2500
- Atlanta Hawks +3500
- Dallas Mavericks +2800
- LA Clippers +1700
- Boston Celtics +4000
- Memphis Grizzlies +10000
- Portland Trail Blazers +8000
- Golden State Warriors +1100
- Charlotte Hornets +18000
- New York Knicks +10000
- Chicago Bulls +8000
- New Orleans Pelicans +11000
- Indiana Pacers +10000
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Washington Wizards +25000
- Sacramento Kings +25000
- San Antonio Spurs +35000
- Toronto Raptors +25000
- Houston Rockets +100000
- Cleveland Cavaliers +100000
- Detroit Pistons +100000
- Orlando Magic +100000
- Oklahoma City Thunder +100000
How to use Pro Basketball Power Rankings
When placing bets on the NBA, it’s crucial to consider factors such as travel time, home court advantage, and playoff positioning versus the rest that so many stars value. By using these NBA Power Rankings, or creating your own criteria for a Power Rankings system, it can be possible to evaluate the prospects of a team more thoroughly based on those factors.
Oddsmakers tend to overreact in the NBA based on the status of star players, but often underreact to trends such as a teams’ performance on back-to-back sets, or at the end of a long road trip. Read our full NBA Betting Guide for more strategies on gaining an edge against sportsbooks.
If you develop a system that helps you stay a step ahead of oddsmakers, it’s certainly possible to cash on over 50 percent of NBA bets and turn a profit. Trust your data and use our Power Rankings as a guide for identifying value on a nightly basis.
Read more on beginner NBA betting strategies here: