Odds to Win the NBA Eastern Conference: Bucks Putting The Hammer Down
With nearly a 40-game sample size of the 2019-20 NBA season, it’s pretty clear who the dominant teams are. The Milwaukee Bucks fall into that category and sit as the betting favorite to win the Eastern Conference and make the NBA Finals.
Online sportsbook Bovada has the Bucks, who own the best record in the NBA, at +125 to bust through and take the East after making it to the conference final last year.
Following the Bucks are the Philadelphia 76ers (+290), Boston Celtics (+500), Miami Heat (+750) and Toronto Raptors (+1000) to round out the top five betting options.
Put All Your Bucks On The Bucks
At 32-6 SU through 38 games while ranking second in 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 +11.9 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 picked up the scoring slack while playing excellent perimeter defense to give the Bucks better shooting to surround Giannis when he makes his unguardable drives to the basket.
At this point of the season, it’s all but certain Milwaukee will get the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and the odds of +125 will shrink come playoff time so if you think the Sixers, Celtics or Heat don’t stand a chance at knocking them off, get on this now.
The Heat Is On
Considered an afterthought in the East after the Bucks and Sixers, the Miami Heat might be the sneaky play to win the Eastern Conference at +750. The Heat are playing lockdown defense this season and are ranked in the top 10 in the NBA in points allowed, opponent field-goal percentage and opponent three-point percentage.
SF Jimmy Butler has been a huge influence on this by averaging 20.4 points and 6.6 assists per game but it’s been a scoring-by-committee approach in South Beach with seven players averaging double-digit points. Miami hasn’t been as sharp on the road this season at 9-9 SU in 18 games and its defense has dipped notably when playing away from American Airlines Arena.
The Heat are in a great spot to finish with a top-three seed in the East and should easily win the Southeast Division. Miami will be a handful for whichever team meets them in the postseason and that’s the type of team you want to bet on for this prop.
See the most up-to-date NBA championship odds here.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee Bucks | +125 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +290 |
| Boston Celtics | +500 |
| Miami Heat | +750 |
| Toronto Raptors | +1000 |
| Indiana Pacers | +1600 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +3000 |
| Orlando Magic | +8000 |
| Detroit Pistons | +15000 |
| Chicago Bulls | +20000 |
| Charlotte Hornets | +20000 |
| Washington Wizards | +25000 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +30000 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +40000 |
| New York Knicks | +40000 |
Odds as of January 8 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.
