National Basketball Association

Two Tiers Of NBA Title Contenders

Updated Jul. 29, 2020 11:29 p.m. ET

With 22 teams in an unprecedented bubble set up to decide who takes home the Larry O'Brien trophy this year, the NBA is back in a big way — but which teams have the best shot to win it all?

FOX Sports analyst Chris Brossard broke the contenders down into two tiers, with three teams at the very top:

TIER 1 – THE CONTENDERS

1. Los Angeles Lakers

What Chris Says: “They seem to be most people's favorite. Not mine, but most people's. ... Here's the challenge: Anthony Davis, still relatively young, has won one playoff series in his life.”

The Lakers enter the NBA restart at 49-14, best in the West. It’s been largely a two-man show for the Lakers, with James and Davis combining to score 42% of the team's total points this season.

And for what it's worth, Charles Barkley thinks AD will be up to the challenge:

FOXBet odds: +250 to win championship

2. Los Angeles Clippers

What Chris Says: “They are my pick to win it all. These guys are hungry, HUNGRY! Full of ‘dog.’ Lots of ‘dog’ in them, all right? … They need [Patrick Beverley and Monrezl Harrell back]. But outside of that, they're stacked.”

At 44-20, the Clippers boast the second-best record in the Western Conference, with four players averaging over 18.5 points per game.

The Clippers went 7-9 in the 16 games Patrick Beverley missed, and their net rating drops from 9.7 to 3.7 when he’s off the floor. Beverley has reportedly returned to the NBA’s bubble, while Harrell’s status remains unclear.

FOXBet odds: +300 to win championship

3. Milwaukee Bucks

What Chris Says: “Giannis is, obviously, amazing. ... Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, they're not Anthony Davis. So LeBron has that second superstar to help him win a championship; Giannis doesn't. Can he get it done without another great star playing beside him?”

To put Antetokounmpo’s historic season into context, only Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan and LeBron James have had a better season in terms of PER.

As a team, the Bucks lead the league in scoring with 118.6 points per game and boast the league’s highest defensive rating at 101.9.

FOXBet odds: +250 to win championship

TIER 2 – BEST OF THE REST

While three teams make up Tier 1, Broussard has five squads just on the cusp of championship contention. To find out who, check out the video below: