Suns open with 16th best odds to win 2021 Championship

When you’re thirsty and someone offers a sip of water, you take it.

After suffering through a 10-year playoff drought — including a four-year stretch with the league’s worst record — only to watch the hated Los Angeles Lakers bookend that dry spell with their 16th and 17th NBA Finals Championships... you drink the damn sip of water.

That sip is a betting site’s prediction that the Suns have the 16th best odds to win the 2021 NBA Finals. Here are complete 2021 NBA odds from the odds-makers at www.SportsBettingDime.com.

ODDS TO WIN THE 2021 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP (West teams in bold)

1. Los Angeles Lakers 5/1
2. Los Angeles Clippers 6/1
3. Milwaukee Bucks 9/1
4. Golden State Warriors 10/1
5. Brooklyn Nets 13/1
6. Boston Celtics 15/1
7. Miami Heat 16/1
8. Toronto Raptors 19/1
9. Denver Nuggets 25/1
10. Houston Rockets 28/1
11. Dallas Mavericks 33/1
12. Philadelphia 76ers 34/1
13. Portland Trail Blazers 45/1
14. Utah Jazz 49/1
15. New Orleans Pelicans 62/1
16. PHOENIX SUNS 66/1
17. Oklahoma City Thunder 88/1
18. Memphis Grizzlies 119/1
19. Indiana Pacers 122/1
20. Atlanta Hawks 144/1
21. Chicago Bulls 150/1
22. Washington Wizards 160/1
23. Orlando Magic 225/1
24. Minnesota Timberwolves 275/1
25. Sacramento Kings 305/1
26. San Antonio Spurs 310/1
27. Cleveland Cavaliers 395/1
28. Detroit Pistons 398/1
29. New York Knicks 485/1
30. Charlotte Hornets 615/1

You’ll see the odds-makers are basing the predictions entirely on each team’s current roster, ahead of the draft, free agency and trade season.

But as it stands, they expect the LA teams to duke it out in the West Finals next year, with the Golden State Warriors — who return All-Stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson from injuries — as LaLa Land’s toughest out to get there. In the East, the odds-makers clearly love the prospect of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading the Nets deep into the postseason next year, giving them the second-best odds to make the Finals out of the East.

The Suns are still 10th in the West, exactly as they finished the 2019-20 season, but with the Grizzlies and Thunder behind the Suns this time. Zion Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans are expected to challenge for the playoffs with the Suns, despite having fired their coach a few weeks ago. Denver made the Conference Finals but have only the 9th best odds next year, while the Heat came up only two wins short of a championship but open with just the 7th best chance to get back to the Finals next year.

Your hometown Phoenix Suns finished last the pandemic-shortened season with a 34-39 record — a 38-44 pace over 82 games — and should see the league’s youngest team getting even better next year as the core grows more mature in their second year under coach Monty Williams.