The NBA’s regular season runs each year from October to April, and each team usually plays 82 games. We are currently well over halfway through the 2023/24 campaign with just over 15 games to go. 

Last year’s NBA Championship winners, the Denver Nuggets, who play in the Western Conference, are currently third in the table, behind the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The question being asked here is, can the Timberwolves or the Thunder really stop Jokic and the Nuggets from reaching the finals? Let’s dive straight in to find out. 

Can the Timberwolves or the Thunder stop the Nuggets from reaching the 2024 NBA finals?

The quickest, easiest, and most reliable way to find out if the Minnesota Timberwolves or Oklahoma Thunder can stop the Denver Nuggets from reaching this year’s NBA finals would be to closely examine the latest 2023/24 NBA outright winner odds on today’s most trusted SA online sports betting sites like 10bet. 

This globally renowned iGaming site is well known for having some of the industry’s most competitive NBA odds. It’s fully licensed and regulated by the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator (MER), meaning it is legally permitted to accept real cash wagers from anyone aged 18 or above in South Africa. 

They offer world-class sport betting services 24/7. You can deposit and withdraw using various popular South African online payment methods, and the site accepts South African Rand. 

Things aren’t looking too bad for the Nuggets just yet. For example, they are still the odds-on favourite team to win the Western Conference outright, despite currently sitting in third place behind Oklahoma Thunder in second place and the Minnesota Timberwolves in first place. 

What do the odds look like?

If you were to place a bet right now on the Denver Nuggets to win the Western Conference outright, and they end up climbing above the Thunder and Timberwolves to reach the playoffs, you are looking at the following average odds:

  • NBA team: Denver Nuggets (odds-on favourite to win the Western Conference outright). Decimal odds: 2.60. Fractional odds: 8/5. American/moneyline odds: +160. IPR (implied probability rate): 38.50%
  • NBA team: LA Clippers (second odds-on favourite to win the Western Conference outright). Decimal odds: 3.50. Fractional odds: 5/2. American/moneyline odds: +250. IPR: 28.60%
  • NBA team: Phoenix Suns. Decimal odds: 8.00. Fractional odds: 7/1. American/moneyline odds: +700. IPR: 12.50%
  • NBA team: Minnesota Timberwolves. Decimal odds: 9.00. Fractional odds: 8/1. American/moneyline odds: +800. IPR: 11.10%
  • NBA team: Oklahoma Thunder. Decimal odds: 9.00. Fractional odds: 8/1. American/moneyline odds: +800. IPR: 11.10%

In other words, if you have already placed a bet on the Nuggets to win again this year, you don’t need to start panicking just yet. There’s still plenty of time, and most bookies are confident they can win the conference despite being behind Oklahoma Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

What are the odds of the Nuggets winning the 2023/24 NBA Championship outright?

They also still have favourable odds of winning the 2023/24 NBA Championship outright, although they are not the odds-on favourites. Here are some of the latest average odds for the top three favourites:

  • NBA team: Boston Celtics (odds-on favourite to win the NBA Championship outright). Decimal odds: 3.50. Fractional odds: 5/2. American/moneyline odds: +250. IPR (implied probability rate): 28.60%
  • NBA team: Denver Nuggets (second odds-on favourite to win the NBA Championship outright). Decimal odds: 4.50. Fractional odds: 7/2. American/moneyline odds: +350. IPR (implied probability rate): 22.20%
  • NBA team: LA Clippers. Decimal odds: 5.75. Fractional odds: 19/4. American/moneyline odds: +475. IPR (implied probability rate): 17.40%

As you can see from these latest average odds, the Nuggets are still a ‘fairly safe’ bet to win both the Western Conference and the finals. However, the thing to remember about betting on the NBA is that anything can happen, and no wagers are guaranteed to win. 

Final thoughts

If you follow basketball, want to bet on any remaining matches this season, and live in South Africa, remember to try the official 10bet website, which specifically caters to the South African market. 

It’s controlled by one of the iGaming industry’s most trusted names and is even the official betting partner and principal partner of the Bafana Bafana football team (the South African men’s national football team) and the Lamontville Golden Arrows, respectively. 

You can place sports bets at 10bet from any modern internet/Wi-Fi-enabled smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer, and you can enjoy everything this market-leading iGaming brand has to offer either instantly in your web browser on the main website or from within the Android or iOS smartphone/tablet app. The choice is yours. 

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