Odds to Win the NBA Eastern Conference

In light of the season-ending injury to star point guard Kyrie Irving, the Eastern Conference is a two-team race according to sportsbooks.

After the Kyrie Irving injury announcement, the Celtics’ odds of winning the East fell from +450 to +2000.

At Bovada, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the +125 favorites to represent the East in the 2018 NBA Finals, followed by the Toronto Raptors (+155), Philadelphia 76ers (+500), Boston Celtics (+2000), Milwaukee Bucks (+2200), Indiana Pacers (+2200), Washington Wizards (+3000) and Miami Heat (+3500).

Prior to the announcement on April 5 that Irving will miss the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs, the Celtics were +450 to win the East and +2000 to win the title, but they have since seen those chances tumble to +2000 to garner the conference title and +7000 to win the whole thing.

Are the Cavs still kings in the East?

The Celtics aren’t dead in the water just yet, but the East is the most wide open it’s been in quite some time, and the loss of Irving is huge – especially if the C’s eventually collide with Irving’s old team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Speaking of the Cavs, LeBron James and company appear to be turning the corner at the right time. Cleveland’s odds are a long way from their season-opening price of -182, but if you believe the wine and gold have what it takes to get back to the NBA Finals for the fourth year in a row, it would be wise to jump on them now before the price starts to get higher in the postseason.

How about them Raptors, eh?

While the Irving injury is devastating to Celtics fans and backers, it’s potentially opened things up for the Raptors. The Dinos, who locked up the No. 1 seed in the East, are a notoriously fantastic regular-season team that seems to perennially fail to get the job done in the playoffs.

This Toronto team has a different feel to it, however, so an early playoff exit may not be as likely this time around. For a squad this talented top to bottom, its +155 price is extremely appealing.

Bet on the NBA playoffs here!

Odds as of April 12 at Bovada