The playoffs start Saturday so let’s take one last look at the Eastern Conference Championship odds.
Despite being the fourth seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers are once again the favorite to win the Eastern Conference. Having the best player in the world in LeBron James will do that for you. There is still a ton of questions about this team heading into the postseason. They finished with the 29th best Defensive Rating in the NBA and don’t really show any interest on that end. That might not be a problem against a team like the Pacers, but the Raptors or Sixers could give them a run for their money.
| Top NBA Sportsbooks |
|---|
| Bovada |
| 5Dimes |
| Nitrogen |
I guess I need to mention the Bucks then too. They have been infuriating all season, but they just got healthy and could see the Celtics without Kyrie Irving in and then the Sixers without Joel Embiid. Giannis is going to play huge minutes and stranger things have happened.
Yeah, its the Cavs. It’s always the Cavs.
| 5Dimes | Bovada | |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +140 | +125 |
| Toronto Raptors | +180 | +155 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +425 | +500 |
| Boston Celtics | +2500 | +2000 |
| Washington Wizards | +4400 | +3000 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +5500 | +2200 |
| Indiana Pacers | +6000 | +2200 |
| Miami Heat | +6000 | +3500 |
What a difference 50 games makes. While before the season we had the Cavs as the favorite by a lot, their odds have dropped quite a bit and I am honestly surprised they haven’t dropped further. This team is bad.
| Top NBA Sportsbooks |
|---|
| Bovada |
| 5Dimes |
| Nitrogen |
So who do we take? The Celtics +260 look good, but there are questions. They have the league’s best defense, but just the 17th ranked offense. They currently hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference and will have a strong home court advantage. This could Kyrie Irving‘s big breakout year if he defeats the Cavs in the playoffs and heads to the Finals. A lot of this depends on how Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown continue to develop. Weaknesses are exposed in the playoffs and that could be their undoing. Of course, they could always get Gordon Hayward back by that point and that would be really interesting. Even if he is just a super Kyle Korver, that would be huge for them. Easy to see why they are the non-Cavs favorite.
I’ve been burned before, but the Raptors +600 are very intriguing to me. I know that Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have had rough gos in the playoffs in the past, but this is a different team. They move the ball better, they shoot the three better and they are one of the best defensive teams in the league. They are third in the NBA in Net Rating behind the Warriors and Rockets and just might be the best team in the East. They currently have the two seed which has them getting the Cavs in the second round (if the season ended today).
The Bucks at +1660 are interesting just because of how they’ve transformed in the short time since Jason Kidd‘s firing. While Giannis Antetokounmpo is an MVP candidate, they’ve gotten great play out of Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe as well. While we probably need to wait and see how Jabari Parker fares when he returns, this is a team on the rise. I can see them moving into the #3 seed and pushing Cleveland to the #4.
Complete updated odds are below:
| 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Championship Odds | |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +105 |
| Boston Celtics | +260 |
| Toronto Raptors | +600 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +1660 |
| Washington Wizards | +1660 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +2750 |
| Miami Heat | +3000 |
| Detroit Pistons | +5850 |
| Indiana Pacers | +6950 |
| Charlotte Hornets | +12500 |
| Chicago Bulls | +15000 |
| New York Knicks | +15000 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +100000 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +100000 |
| Orlando Magic | +100000 |
Updated: 2/1/2018
Best Sportsbooks to bet NBA Futures
| Sportsbook | Reason | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Bovada.lv | Constantly Updated Odds |  |
 | 5Dimes | Multiple Betting Options | |
 | Nitrogen Sports | Anonymous Bitcoin Sportsbook | |
 | Sports Interaction | Canada Regulated Sportsbook | |
The 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Championship Odds are in and once again the Cavs look like the favorite. They open at a nearly 1-2 favorite and there doesn’t seem to be anyone who can possibly touch them in the conference. Let’s go through the contenders.
| Top NBA Sportsbooks |
|---|
| Bovada |
| 5Dimes |
| Nitrogen |
The Raptors are a somewhat surprising +2000. This will be a great regular season and could finish with a top seed in the East. Of course, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are bad in the playoffs and this team hasn’t been able to touch the Cavs in the playoffs over the past few years. Hard to argue with this.
A real interesting team is the Wizards +1200. They didn’t lose a home game in the playoffs last season and their starting five is one of the best in the NBA. John Wall and Bradley Beal are a super talented backcourt that can easily win games by themselves. They don’t have much of a bench, but that matters less in the playoffs. This will be an interesting team to watch this year to see if they make the leap.
The Bucks at +2000 are only interesting if Giannis Antetokounmpo makes a giant leap and becomes the new LeBron James. Even then, I’m not sure it’s enough.
These odds are nice and all, but this is the Cavs Conference to lose. Isaiah Thomas is a nice addition, Kevin Love is still great and there are enough pieces around them to make this thing work one more time. Beating the Warriors on the other hand…
| 2018 NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS | |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | -182 |
| Boston Celtics | +260 |
| Toronto Raptors | +2000 |
| Washington Wizards | +1200 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +2500 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +2000 |
| Detroit Pistons | +4000 |
| Miami Heat | +3000 |
| Indiana Pacers | +8000 |
| Charlotte Hornets | +7000 |
| New York Knicks | +10000 |
Best Sportsbooks to bet NBA Futures
| Sportsbook | Reason | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada.lv | Constantly Updated Odds | |
| 5Dimes | Multiple Betting Options | |
| Nitrogen Sports | Anonymous Bitcoin Sportsbook | |
| Sports Interaction | Canada Regulated Sportsbook | |