NBA Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

Reaching the Eastern Conference Final has been routine for the Boston Celtics with five appearances in the previous seven seasons. Breaking through to the NBA Finals is another story. The preseason NBA futures odds favorite did what everyone expected capturing the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference by a healthy 14 games over No. 2 seed New York Knicks. And as a result the Celtics are positioned as a massive negative NBA odds favorite at Caesars sportsbook to win the East. Boston won 64 games and never lost more than two in a row. They collected their most victories since the 2007-08 season when they won the NBA championship.

Based on the regular season numbers there isn’t much competition for Boston. But as we know anything can happen in the postseason. The Miami Heat are a classic example of that. Last year they won the No. 8 seed play-in game then beat top-seeded Milwaukee in the first round and knocked off the Celtics in the East Final. Miami became the first play-in team to reach the NBA Finals but lost to Denver in five games. The Heat had a better record this season winning four more games, but still weren’t able to avoid the play-in. 

Injuries played a role in NBA odds for a few teams. The Milwaukee Bucks are the second-favorite and No. 3 seed, but will likely open the postseason with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the shelf. The Freak sustained a calf strain missing the final week of the regular season. It was originally feared to be an Achilles injury but the club escaped that scenario. A NBA hot pick to reach the Finals at the start of the year, the Bucks were maddeningly inconsistent. They were 30-13 when Adrian Griffin was fired mid-season. They improved defensively after the change but finished just 17-19 under Doc Rivers. 

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NBA Odds To Win Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics -194

Milwaukee Bucks +635

Philadelphia 76ers +775

New York Knicks +1065

Miami Heat +1425

Cleveland Cavaliers +1525

Indiana Pacers +4350

Orlando Magic +7000

Chicago Bulls +50589

Atlanta Hawks +60720

The Philadelphia 76ers probably feel like they hit the jackpot with reigning MVP Joel Embiid returning just in time for the playoffs. The Sixers had a NBA best eight-game winning streak to close the regular season with Embiid on the floor for five of those victories. He missed two months with a knee injury causing the Sixers to fall into the play-in tournament. Still, his return boosted Philly’s NBA odds with the Sixers positioned as the third-favorite. The coaching staff did a nice job managing his minutes upon his return and Embiid was a force. He scored at least 30 points in three games and averaged 34.7 for the season. The Sixers desperately need him playing at a high level to have a chance. They were 31-8 in games he played and 15-27 when he didn’t.

The Knicks earned the No. 2 seed thus avoiding Boston until a possible conference finals matchup. It’s hard to differentiate between the Knicks and No. 8 seed Miami since the seven teams were separated by just four games in the standings. Defensively the Knickerbockers are tough holding opponents to an average of just over 108 points while leading the NBA in rebounding. 

The loss of Julius Randle left a big void for a team that lacks depth. However, OG Anunoby has been a find after his acquisition and Jalen Brunson emerged as a legitimate scoring threat. In March the Knicks also accomplished something nearly unheard of in today’s NBA by holding three straight opponents to less than 80 points. Brunson ended the season scoring at least 30 points in nine of his last 10 games, including dropping 61 against the Spurs.

One of three teams with two former first overall NBA draft picks, the Orlando Magic are lurking. They got major contributions from Paolo Banchero and Markelle Fultz and their top-three defense forced the most turnovers during the season leading to 47 wins and the fifth seed. They struggled offensively, though, ranked just 22nd in efficiency and they had a hard time from behind the arc. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are another young team showing improvement. However, with Donovan Mitchell nursing an injury over the final month the offense struggled. And there’s no guarantee the team’s leading scorer will be healthy for the playoffs. While the Cavs are a NBA pick to win their first round series with Orlando, a hobbled Mitchell leaves them questionable.

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