Odds to Win the NBA Eastern Conference: Bucks Running Through The East

As we get to the final leg of the NBA regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks seem to be getting stronger and oddsmakers agree, making them an odds-on favorite to win the Eastern Conference.

The Bucks are a dominant 51-8 SU through 59 games and online sportsbook Bovada has them listed at -170 to roll through the playoffs and make the NBA Finals. The next-closest team on the oddsboard is the Boston Celtics (+500), who sit third in the East at 41-17 SU and are weathering the storm with point guard Kemba Walker on the shelf.

Following those two squads are the Toronto Raptors (+650), Miami Heat (+950) and Philadelphia 76ers (+1000) to round out the top five options before the odds jump significantly to the Indiana Pacers next up at +2800.

Bucks Running Through The East

At 51-8 SU through 59 games and leading the NBA in points scored per game, the Milwaukee Bucks are picking up right where they left off last season. They lead the NBA in point differential at +12.8 and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken his game to a whole new level that has him as an odds-on favorite to win NBA MVP.

When the Bucks came into the season, a regression was expected because they had to let Malcolm Brogdon leave in free agency while Nikola Mirotic went back to Europe. Well, to be blunt, those two haven’t been missed at all.

Guards Wesley Matthews and Donte DiVincenzo have played excellent perimeter defense and picked up the scoring slack to give the Bucks better shooting to surround Giannis when he makes his unguardable drives to the basket. They also just added former Hornets forward Marvin Williams, which will be huge for them to keep Giannis rested as he’s only averaging 30.8 minutes per game.

At this point of the season, it’s all but certain Milwaukee will get the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and we’ll see if the Greek Freak has learned his lesson on how to overcome gimmicky defenses in the playoffs.

The Heat Is On

The Miami Heat were considered almost an afterthought coming into the regular season. Sure, they added Jimmy Butler and the roster had a nice balance that could potentially win a playoff series. But the Heat are definitely going for it this year with their roster upgrades at the trade deadline.

Miami may not have the best overall talent in the East but adding Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder is huge because it sends a message to the Bucks that the Heat will be throwing a lot of bodies at Antetokounmpo in a seven-game playoff series if they meet up.

The Heat were already a pretty good defensive team but adding two perimeter defenders like that should put Milwaukee on notice. The only thing standing in Miami’s way is playoff seeding because, ideally, they don’t want to have to face the Bucks in the second round.

The Heat are currently fourth in the East standings behind the Bucks, Raptors and Celtics and would need to get to the 2 seed if they want to delay an eventual clash with Milwaukee. The Heat are already a great home team at 24-4 SU in 28 games but their road record has been subpar at 13-18 SU in 31 games. Good teams win on the road so if bettors aren’t sold on the Heat at +950, try taking a stab on the Bucks slayers, the Toronto Raptors.

Raptors Not Extinct Yet

The Raptors are showing the world that they were successful before Kawhi Leonard and can be successful after. The Raps are an outstanding 42-17 SU through 59 games and were just coming off a 16-game win streak. Obviously, having a stud like Leonard is a huge difference-maker in the postseason but all-star Pascal Siakam has taken the torch while fellow all-star Kyle Lowry might be playing some of the best basketball of his career.

If the playoffs started today, Toronto would have an easier time getting to the Eastern Conference final and the odds at +650 would be all but gone. If you’re not convinced the Greek Freak and the Bucks can get it done, the Raptors are the bet to make for getting to the NBA Finals.

See the most up-to-date NBA championship odds here.

Odds as of February 29 at  Bovada

Understanding NBA Eastern Conference Odds

At your betting site of choice, you’ll see prop odds displayed like this:

Milwaukee Bucks +200

Philadelphia 76ers +450

Toronto Raptors +800

Boston Celtics +1000

New York Knicks +2200

In contrast to a moneyline bet where the favorites are represented with minus signs (-) and underdogs with plus signs (+), the team with the lowest odds is the front-runner. In this scenario it’s the Bucks, while the rest are dogs.

Let’s say you’re loving the 76ers at +450. A $75 bet would get you a payout of $412.50 – you get your original money back coupled with your winnings of $337.50. Our Odds Calculator will tell you how much you’d win based on the amount bet and odds offered.

What is a Basketball Prop Bet?

Any wager on the occurrence or non-occurrence of specific player or team milestones that don’t automatically correlate to the outcome of a certain game is a prop bet. Here you’re betting on the odds for an NBA team to win the Eastern Conference.

When bookmakers set the lines, they aren’t etched in stone. The odds will change as we move closer to the finals and teams climb or fall in the standings. If you come across odds you like, we suggest taking them to get the ultimate value on a winning bet. Taking a team at +900 at the beginning of the regular season is better than getting them at -900 a week before the playoffs right before the lines close.