Injuries and upsets have flipped the Western Conference on its head, and basketball bettors may get the rarely-seen No. 6 seed vs. No. 5 conference finals. Heck, there’s a solid chance that we are headed for a Memphis Grizzlies or Golden State Warriors vs. Miami Heat NBA Finals matchup. Either team would make an interesting choice to represent the West in the Finals, but neither would provide the star power to match up with the Heat. The series could be a turn off for the casual NBA fan.

Injury and age have pretty much decimated the West, and the road to the Finals, which previously ran through Oklahoma City, is now wide open for the taking. Let’s take a closer look at the odds to win the Western Conference and figure out which teams have the best value to place a wager on.

(Note: all odds come from Sportsbook.ag)

Memphis Grizzlies: +120

After 10 intense playoff games, the Grizzlies suddenly look like the best team in the NBA — and, yes, that is including the Miami Heat. Memphis has the best odds to win the West at +120 and is getting excellent value at that price. The team matches up perfectly against either potential opponent in the conference finals and has a real shot at making the NBA Finals for the first time in the organization’s history. The shocking thing is that a bettor could have gotten the Grizzlies to win the West at +800 at the beginning of the postseason. And you know there are more than a few giddy bettors in Memphis that wagered on their team at that price.

San Antonio Spurs: +120

The West is in such disarray that the Spurs are being severely overrated because the oddsmakers are having trouble wrapping their minds around a Memphis vs. Golden State conference finals. The Spurs are currently tied up a two games apiece with the Warriors but could have easily been down 3-1. San Antonio has already begun to show its age and may play Game 5 on heavy legs after its overtime loss in Game 4. However, if the Spurs do manage to beat the Warriors in six or seven games, then their reward would be a series against the Grizzlies — a team that they do not match up well against. Wagering on the Spurs to win the West at +120 is simply not a good price. The Spurs are a bet that you might want to skip.

Golden State Warriors: +600

There is some value in getting Golden State at +600. However, they will have a difficult — but not impossible — road out of the West. The Warriors match up well against the Spurs and are playing them with no fear. And at this point, after having outplayed San Antonio in three of the first four games, it would be a mild shock if Golden State didn’t advance to the Western Conference Finals. The trouble for Golden State would be their potential matchup against the Grizzlies. The team simply doesn’t have the size to match up in the post. But their perimeter shooting is so deadly that they may not have to.

Oklahoma City Thunder: +2500

Wagering on the Thunder to win the Western Conference is a waste of money. There is very little chance that a Russell Westbrook-less Thunder squad could come back from a 3-1 deficit against the Grizzlies. Unfortunately, there will be no miracle comebacks for Oklahoma City, so do not even think twice about placing a wager on the Thunder.

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