NBA Playoffs: Breaking Down Each Contender's Odds at Winning a Title

Who ya got?

Less than a quarter of this abbreviated NBA regular season remains and those teams with a shot at the playoffs are in a mad dash to see who can make it.

Most of the players on the NBA's postseason stage have already been determined and we're just waiting on the final word on seedings, which these last three weeks will tell us.

The Heat, despite a legitimately uninspiring stretch as of late, are still the odds-on favorites to take the big prize, according to Sportsbook.com.

Let's take a look at all of the contenders' odds to win the 2011-2012 NBA Championship.

Miami: 5-4

The Miami Heat have slipped somewhat of late but remain Vegas' pick to win it all. They have a lot of work to do if that's going to happen.

Now 6-5 over their last 11 games and 3-7 in their last 10 on the road, Miami seems to be spinning its wheels and not caring too much about it. In Sunday's blowout loss to the Celtics, LeBron James did not record an assist for just the second time in his career. Per the Miami Herald, LeBron explained, "In order to get assists, you have to make shots, you know."

We're sure his teammates really appreciated such a stand-up response from the ultimate stand-up guy in the entire league.

The Heat fixed their maladies last season in time to roll through the playoffs all the way to the NBA Finals; don't be surprised if they do something similar this year. Still, given the way the past few weeks have gone, this number feels a little generous.

Odds Should Be: 3-1

Oklahoma City: 3-1

There is no hotter team in the NBA right now than the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are rolling through the schedule and looking borderline unstoppable in the process.

Headed into Monday night's game against Memphis, the Thunder had won six in a row and done so convincingly, with none of the victories by fewer than nine points.

There are still some shortcomings on the roster, the most glaring being the lack of a true low-post threat. But if Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and their cohorts keep on playing the way they've been not just for the past couple weeks, but the majority of the season, it may not matter.

Odds Should Be: 4-3

Chicago: 7-2

Derrick Rose is still missing in action but outside of Sunday's shellacking at the hands of Oklahoma City, the Chicago Bulls have barely missed a beat.

That could spell doom for the rest of the league.

That the Bulls are learning on the fly how to win without the league MVP is a testament not just to the other players on the roster, their talent and their character, but to the coaching of Tom Thibodeau. The Bulls should really extend him as soon as possible.

That Chicago has succeeded the way it has up to this point bodes very well for its postseason chances. Make the Bulls' odds even better.

Odds Should Be: 2-1

San Antonio: 10-1

Really? Ten-to-one for the San Antonio Spurs? 

No way.

That's not to say the four-time champs should be the odds-on favorites or anything. But they've had a fantastic season thus far, while winning 10 of 11 and seven straight.

Gregg Popovich, one of the game's best coaches, has figured out how to win a bunch of games with Tim Duncan playing a lot less and with Manu Ginobili missing more than half the season.

Like the Bulls winning without Rose, the Spurs operating at near maximum efficiency at less than full strength has to increase their confidence and enhance their chances.

Odds Should Be: 5-1

L.A. Lakers: 10-1

Enough with all the ridiculous drama surrounding this team. If everyone just shuts up and lets the players play and the coaches coach, the Lakers could well be a tremendously difficult out in the West.

Now that Andrew Bynum is hurt, the Los Angeles Lakers best tread very cautiously for the rest of the season. If he's healthy and operating at or near his best, the Lakers could make it all the way to the finals and possibly even win it all.

Of course, even if Bynum is healthy, there's no way to know if he'll bother to play for coach Mike Brown, with whom he is selfishly at odds. Kobe Bryant is still as lethal a player as there is in the game, but seems to be aging at warp speed this year; he just must be playing too many minutes.

Things could fall into place for the Lakers, though. If they do, watch out.

Odds Should Be: Same

Boston: 15-1

Not too sure about this one.

The Boston Celtics are on fire right now and two of their graybeards, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, are playing as well as they have all season (in Garnett's case, as well as he has in years).

But Sportsbook has them with a better shot to win than both Dallas and the Clippers.

Those two teams probably won't win, but neither is a longer shot than the C's. Boston is capable of putting a real scare into Miami or Chicago thanks to its defense, but the Celtics don't have the manpower or the collective stamina to beat either of those two teams in a seven-game series. 

Odds Should Be: 20-1

Dallas: 25-1

Dallas has had an up-and-down season full of the kind of noise they stayed away from all year on their way to a title last season. The Mavs are still hanging around the Western playoff picture and could still conceivably wind up with the No. 3 seed.

The issues with Lamar Odom couldn't have been that much of a surprise and any team that brings in Vince Carter is going to be considerably worse than it was without him.

But Jason Terry's histrionics and Dirk Nowitzki's absence due to poor conditioning have hurt this team, which may cost it any home-court advantages come the postseason. 

Those numbers sound about right.

Odds Should Be: Same

L.A. Clippers: 20-1

Things are looking positively December/January-ish for the L.A. Clippers right now. 

They've won six in a row including Monday night's rout of the Mavs in Dallas. The Clips seem to have really come together since rumors of discord between the players and coach Vinny Del Negro reached near critical mass a couple weeks ago, as reported by ESPN's Chris Broussard.

Chris Paul is so good that along with solid performances from Blake Griffin and whoever is playing the 2 (Randy Foye and Nick Young seem to be a platoon right now), the Clippers could win a round, maybe even a couple.

But Del Negro didn't become a good coach overnight and the Clippers could sorely miss the championship experience of the injured Chauncey Billups during the playoffs.

The Clippers have a very bright future. But in the present, they aren't quite ready.

Odds Should Be: 25-1