Odds To Win The NBA Eastern Conference: Nets Faves With New Big Three

Five teams from the NBA’s Eastern Conference have a legitimate chance to make it to the NBA Finals this season but it’s the Brooklyn Nets who are tabbed as the favorites to make it that far.

The Nets sit at +150 in NBA Eastern Conference odds at Bovada over the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks (+275), Philadelphia 76ers (+550), Boston Celtics (+600) and Miami Heat (+1000).

The Nets have a true Big Three in Brooklyn now by adding James Harden to the mix to go along with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. With the move, Brooklyn went from being a +225 co-favorite with the Bucks to win the East to being the +150 fave.

See Odds Shark’s Best NBA Sites

It will likely be a race to the finish in the East, which now resembles a gauntlet of high-end teams in the top half of the conference. The 76ers currently have the best record in the East at 15-6 SU through 21 games.

Track the latest NBA futures when placing your bets. Here are the full betting odds for which team will win the Eastern Conference:

Who Will Win The NBA Eastern Conference?

Odds as of February 2 at Bovada

Why Are The Brooklyn Nets Favored in NBA Eastern Conference Odds?

Star power, unmatched scoring potential and elite basketball skill are just a few of the reasons why the Brooklyn Nets should be favored in NBA Eastern Conference odds. The Big Three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden may be the best collection of scoring talent we’ve ever seen on an NBA roster. Each of them is averaging at least 24 points per game and the X factor is Durant, who is second in the NBA in scoring and is nearly unguardable in the half-court.

Two reasons why it could prove to be a bust to tail the Nets to play for the NBA championship are lack of depth and overall defense. The latter point has been a glaring issue since Harden’s arrival, with the Nets giving up 120 points or more in six of the eight games when he’s been in the lineup. The former was obvious once the three-team trade was consummated with Houston and Cleveland because the Nets had to mortgage the future and some of the present just to get Harden on the roster.

There’s no question Brooklyn can likely put up 120 points on any defense in the NBA but basketball is a two-way sport and if the Nets can’t stop anybody, they could get run over by a team with more depth and some scoring punch like the Boston Celtics or possibly the Miami Heat. Bet with caution on the Nets at +150.

Who Can Challenge The Nets in the East?

Teams like the Bucks, Celtics or even the Heat can offer a great challenge to the Nets in a seven-game series but right now, the only other team that should seriously be considered in NBA Eastern Conference odds is the Philadelphia 76ers at +550.

The main reason the Sixers should be on your radar comes down to how great center Joel Embiid has looked this season. The big man is one of the few dominant centers in the NBA who can dictate the pace in a given game and could make the Nets have to change up strategy and guard a player they can’t match up with.

Embiid finally looks in shape after only scratching the surface of his potential so far in his career. This season he is averaging a career-high 28.3 points per game and posting career-best shooting percentages across the board.

The arrival of head coach Doc Rivers has given a different vibe to Philly this season and it shows in how Tobias Harris has stepped up his game and in how veterans like Danny Green and Dwight Howard have bought into their roles.

The Sixers, with a healthy Embiid and Ben Simmons, are the only team that can potentially match up with the Nets and slow them down offensively. Barring injury, this is likely your matchup in the Eastern Conference final.

Understanding NBA Eastern Conference Odds

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

Milwaukee Bucks +225

Brooklyn Nets +225

Philadelphia 76ers +550

Boston Celtics +550

Miami Heat +550

Similar 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 and Nets as the favorites, each at +225.

Let’s say you’re loving the 76ers at +550 and you bet they make the NBA Finals. A $100 bet would get you a payout of $650 – you get your original money back coupled with your winnings of $550.

Our Odds Calculator will tell you how much you’d win based on the amount bet and odds offered.