NBA Northwest Division Odds: Tight Odds Between Nuggets & T-Wolves

The NBA’s Northwest Division has been a two-team show for the last four years, with the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz trading divisional titles on and off. The 2022-23 NBA Northwest Division odds, however, paint a much different picture for the upcoming season. 

Sportsbooks have us covered for the odds to win the NBA Northwest Division, where the Nuggets are chalked at -150, while the Minnesota Timberwolves have the second-best odds at +150. 

For more basketball odds, take a look at Odds Shark’s dedicated NBA page, which also includes prop betting opportunities, our best NBA betting sites and other betting suggestions from the National Basketball Association.

NBA Northwest Division Odds

Why Are The Nuggets (-150) Favored?

The Jazz have won the division the last two seasons, but after they unloaded their top two stars – Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell – Utah’s odds have plummeted to +4000. 

Enter the Nuggets. Armed with reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Denver looks set up for its most straightforward division title in years. The Nuggets have had some tough luck in the playoffs, but we’re not going that far. All these odds are about is winning the Northwest Division. 

The Nuggets will have Jokic, plus Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. returning from injury, setting them up for a full season of high-level basketball.

NBA Northwest Division Odds: Best Value Bet

Portland Trail Blazers (+1000)

The Blazers were subject to some awful luck in 2021-22, notably Damian Lillard’s abdominal injury that limited him to 29 games. Portland finished fourth in the division last season – and when we look ahead to 2022-23, we only recommend a flier on the Blazers at +1000.

Sure, Lillard will be back and another season under head coach Chauncey Billups should help, but this team isn’t expected to do amazing things. Still, the Blazers made an effort in free agency, re-signing big man Jusuf Nurkic and guard Anfernee Simons and adding Jerami Grant and Gary Payton II. 

Portland has a retooled roster and the squad definitely got better over the summer, but the roster still has limitations, which is why we like them as a long-shot bet only. 

NBA Northwest Division Odds: Best Pick

Minnesota Timberwolves (+150)

The T-Wolves finished third in the Northwest last year, but snuck into the playoffs after beating the Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in tournament. But this 2022-23 Minnesota team looks very different than it did a season ago.

The Wolves acquired Rudy Gobert from the Jazz in a blockbuster trade that shook the groundwork of this entire division. Now Minnesota can pair the three-time Defensive Player of the Year in a frontcourt with Karl-Anthony Towns, who had an excellent campaign a year ago.

There’s also the high-flying Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt to round out a very dynamic top four. If the big trade for Gobert pays off and the T-Wolves end up being one of the best teams in the Western Conference, which is what they’re expected to be, then +150 value is a solid starting point. 

Last 10 NBA Northwest Division Winners

The last 10 years have offered plenty of parity in the Northwest Division. The group has come a long way since Kevin Durant and OKC ran the show in the early 2010s. With the Jazz out of the picture, it’s now a toss-up between the Nuggets (who’ve won twice in the last 10 years) and the Timberwolves (who’ve never won the division since its inception in 2004). There’s better value on the T-Wolves right now, which is why they’re our best bet. 

How To Read NBA Northwest Division Odds

At basketball sportsbooks, you’ll see futures odds laid out this way:

Utah Jazz -553

Minnesota Timberwolves +2000

Unlike another betting style where there is a clear favorite represented by the minus sign (-), the team with the lowest odds is the front-runner. The rest are considered to be underdogs.

Let’s say you’re loving the Jazz at -553, and you have $100 burning a hole in your pocket. A winning bet would get you a payout of $118.08 – your original $100 is returned along with your prize of $18.08. Or, perhaps you believe the T-Wolves are going to go on a scoring rampage and bet that same $100 on them at +2000. You’d get $2,100 – your $100 comes back coupled with your winnings of $2,000.

Use our Odds Calculator to see how much you’d win based on the odds offered and betting amount.

What Is A Divisional Odds Futures Bet On The NBA?

Any bet that is made in advance of a big event is a futures bet. Although it can be argued that all sports bets are made prior to an event, futures are made weeks or months before the occasion occurs. In this case, the bet is on a team’s chances of winning the Northwest Division.

The oddsmakers create the lines before the season starts. However, the action will move as games are played, injuries happen and people are traded. If you see odds you like, take them early if you can. It’s better to grab a team at plus money (+) than minus money (-) to get excellent betting value should your bet win.