After an intriguing first two-thirds of the season, four teams have emerged as clear frontrunners out East. The Bucks and Raptors have established a bit of a gap at the top, but the Celtics and Sixers aren’t too far behind. We’ll analyse each of these four teams seasons so far, providing our best Eastern Conference title bet in the process.
Toronto Raptors $2.25
The Raptors find themselves comfortable favourites for the East after amassing a 37-16 record so far. King Kawhi has been dominant in his first year as a Raptor, averaging 27.6 points and 8 rebounds per contest. Kyle Lowry enjoys yet another reserve All-Star spot with averages of 14.1 points and 9.2 assists. Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka have also been very important members of the frontcourt, averaging a combined 31 points and 14.5 rebounds. Whilst they may struggle to overtake Milwaukee in the Regular Season, they have the quality to win on the road in the playoffs.
Boston Celtics $3.75
Despite currently sitting 5th in the Conference, the Celtics find themselves 2nd favourite at $3.75. This is in large part due to excellent performances from Kyrie Irving, who got a well-deserved All-Star nod after averages of 23.6 points and 6.9 assists. Jayson Tatum has also improved of late, currently averaging 16.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. This team definitely has the most playoff experience in the Conference and will have hardly any defensive weaknesses come the Conference Semis and beyond. I expect them to slot into the top 4 soon, making them decent value at this price.
Milwaukee Bucks $4.50
Despite now sitting alone atop the East, the Bucks find themselves a pretty distant equal third favourite for the Conference title. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the main man this year, averaging 26.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. Khris Middleton also earnt an All-Star nod off the back of well-rounded averages of 17.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. The backcourt combination of Brogdon and Bledsoe also has to be commended, combining for 31 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists per game. I fully expect Milwaukee to hold onto the #1 seed and get homecourt throughout the East playoffs, making them very solid value at the $4.50 price.
Philadelphia 76ers $4.50
After a solid first 53 games, the Sixers find themselves equal third favourites for the Conference at $4.50. Joel Embiid has been a monster all season, putting up insane averages of 27.2 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. Ben Simmons also got a well-deserved All-Star nod after averages of 16.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.1 assists. Averaging a shade under 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, Jimmy Butler rounds out the ‘Big 3’ nicely. If the Sixers can add that elusive 5th piece to their closing lineup, they appear fairly well priced at $4.50.
Best Bet: Bucks $4.50
Having been statistically the best team in the NBA this season, it’s hard to look past the Bucks to win the East at tasty odds of $4.50. They have an incredibly well-rounded starting lineup to go along with a more than capable bench. In Giannis, they have the best player on the floor in most matchups too. With Mike Budenholzer now in the fold, they definitely won’t be getting outcoached like they were under Jason Kidd. After claiming the #1 seed out East, I think Milwaukee has the highest chance of making the NBA Finals in this group.