John Ford | March 4, 2020 | Updated on: April 4th, 2023
The NBA’s Southwest Division has long been known to be one of the most competitive in the league. The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets have won multiple NBA Championships and the Dallas Mavericks have a single title to their name too. With the likes of James Harden and Luka Dončić competing in the division, basketball fans can really expect to see some of the league’s greatest players battling it out for the title. The epic Golden State Warriors dynasty also seems to have come to an end, meaning that the Western Conference seems to be fair game for any team and great odds for bettors.
If you are looking to bet on the Southwest Division, make sure to read on down below. We have created the ultimate guide to betting on this tough division. Some areas we look at include the odds of each team to win the division, some betting statistics, a list of the previous division champions and the current standings. We also provide a list of the online gambling sites with the best basketball odds. So, read on and begin betting on the NBA’s Southwest Division.
Unlike in other NBA divisions in both the Eastern and Western Conference, there really isn’t a clear team poised to take the Southwest Division this season. Both the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks are playing very well and the Memphis Grizzlies aren’t that bad either. Below we have a look at each of the teams in the division:
Dallas Mavericks – the Mavericks seem to be a good position to make it to the playoffs this season. They’ll need to push to take the division title though. If Luka Dončić continues with his current form, the team really does have a chance taking it, so these may be some good odds to get in on.
Houston Rockets – the Rockets are currently favoured to take the title for the third consecutive year. James Harden continues to show why he is considered one of the best players in the league. He and the rest of the Rockets will need to continue to push if they are to edge out state rivals the Mavericks. We think they’ll probably be able to do it.
Memphis Grizzlies – the Grizzlies have been rather consistent with their record this season. While this may be good enough to nab a playoff spot, they really are going to have to push if they are to take their first ever division title this season. We don’t think that they have it in them to do so just yet.
New Orleans Pelicans – the Pelicans have only a single division title to their name. They haven’t been playing very well this season, so it’s pretty easy to call this one. Don’t bet on them if you want to win.
San Antonio Spurs – while the Spurs have a good history in the league and have won the most division titles in the Southwest division, they do not have a good team this year. They could maybe push for a playoff spot and push their ranking on the Eastern Conference table but even that is going to take a lot of drive and luck, which the team does not seem to have at the moment.
Here is a list of the NBA Southwest Division Champions for the last decade. Perhaps, you’ll notice some performance patterns you may be able to take advantage of at sports betting sites:
Season
Team
2009–10
Dallas Mavericks
2010–11
San Antonio Spurs
2011–12
San Antonio Spurs
2012–13
San Antonio Spurs
2013–14
San Antonio Spurs
2014–15
Houston Rockets
2015–16
San Antonio Spurs
2016–17
San Antonio Spurs
2017–18
Houston Rockets
2018–19
Houston Rockets
NBA Southwest Division Standings
Sometimes, more than anything, looking at team standings helps you make better bets. Well, if you are interested in using such a metric, here is the standings of the Southwest Division at the time of writing.
Rank
Team
Record
1
Houston Rockets
39-21
2
Dallas Mavericks
37-25
3
Memphis Grizzlies
30-31
4
San Antonio Spurs
26-34
5
New Orleans Pelicans
26-35
Current NBA Southwest Division Betting Statistics
If you’re looking to bet on any of the NBA teams in the Southwest Division, make sure to take the following statistics in consideration:
The last time a team from the Southwest Division won the NBA Championship was in 2014 when the San Antonio Spurs bested the Miami Heat. Since then, the closest a team has come is making it to the division finals.
The San Antonio Spurs leads the division in division titles with a total of 9 in the Southwest (many more before that too). Their most recent win came in 2017. The most recent division title winner is the Houston Rockets, who also won it in 2018.
The only team in the Southwest Division to never have won a title at all is the Memphis grizzlies. Their best performance saw them make it to the Conference Finals where they were bested by the San Antonio Spurs.
The Southwest Conference is one of the most competitive in the Eastern Conference, regularly sending at least three teams to the playoffs. There has been a season in which every single team in the division obtained a spot.
History of the NBA Southwest Division
The NBA’s Southwest Division was formed in 2004 after the Charlotte Hornets were added to the league. Inaugural members of the division the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs. All of these teams still compete in the division even if the Pelicans have gone through a series of name changes since that time.
The division is largely considered to be one of the most competitive in the Western Conference with all three teams based in Texas (Spurs, Mavericks and Rockets) having previously won the NBA Championship. As mentioned above in the betting statistics, more than three teams from the division regularly make it through to the playoffs.
Although it has been a few years since a team from the Southwest Division has won either a Conference title or NBA Championship, it seems that some teams may be on the up. The Mavericks and the Rockets in particular seem to be on the up. With the fall of the Golden State Warriors, it seems that James Harden may soon get his first NBA Championship win.
The NBA’s Southwest Division has long been known to be one of the most competitive in the league. The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets have won multiple NBA Championships and the Dallas Mavericks have a single title to their name too. With the likes of James Harden and Luka Dončić competing in the division, basketball fans can really expect to see some of the league’s greatest players battling it out for the title. The epic Golden State Warriors dynasty also seems to have come to an end, meaning that the Western Conference seems to be fair game for any team and great odds for bettors.
