2023-24 NBA Eastern Conference Betting Preview: A Two-Buck Race?
Boston or Milwaukee - Everyone Else Stinks
NBA Futures Leaning Heavily on Just Two Teams
The NBA has almost always been a top-heavy league regarding sports betting. Nearly every year, there are just a pair of teams who hog the spotlight while everyone else hopes to pull off what Miami did last year and become a Cinderella story. In this 2023-24 NBA Eastern Conference betting preview, it’s all about Boston and Milwaukee. Thanks to blockbuster deals, they have all but monopolized the NBA odds.
Who Wins the East? Bank on Boston or Money on Milwaukee?
With futures betting lines set at +175, the oddsmakers have proclaimed either Boston or Milwaukee to come out of the East and to the 2024 NBA Finals. Any other result would be a massive upset as Cleveland and Philadelphia are distant runner-ups at +800. And the team that actually won the East last season, Miami, is now at 12-1.
That’s what happens when you make deals for big-name stars. Namely, the Bucks won the Damian Lillard sweepstakes. The disgruntled star forced his way out of Portland and will now form arguably the scariest duo with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee’s outright odds quickly shortened following the deal, going from +650 to +375 to win the NBA title.
As for Boston, the Celtics made not one but two massive deals. Boston traded for star forward Kristaps Porzingis in June. And just a few days after Milwaukee’s deal with Lillard, Boston poached their former guard Jrue Holiday. Boston went from a +475 favorite in the East to win the NBA title before the Lillard deal. Then it slightly lengthened as a +500 runner-up after and is finally now at +400 with Holiday.
But even before these deals, Milwaukee and Boston were already touted to finish atop the NBA East standings. The former won the NBA title in 2021, while the latter was a runner-up in 2022. Miami somehow upset both last season. But the oddsmakers are bearish on the Heat pulling it off again.
And if you think these odds are whack and challenging to make money on, just glimpse the division odds. Milwaukee is a whopping -350 to win the Central, while both Boston and Miami are at -200. Good luck whaling on these lines.
Miami Twice? The Dogs That Could Bark
The Heat may have used every ounce of their underdog magic to make it to the NBA Finals last year. And outside of them, the odds are not looking so good for the rest of the East. But we’ll humor this NBA Eastern Conference betting preview for the sake of. And we’ll start with the Cavaliers.
As mentioned, the Cavs are +800 to win the East. And its odds to win the Central division odds are +300, which is after Milwaukee. But one thing folks discount with Milwaukee acquiring Lillard is how it cut its depth. The Bucks lost some depth and key players like Grayson Allen and Joe Ingles. They have a new coach as well.
Cleveland has more continuity outside of swapping Cedi Osman for sharpshooting guard Max Strus. One more year of Evan Mobley and Darius Garland developing, and this team could just finish atop the division.
And over to the Southeast Division, taking a shot on the Hawks at +200 is not the worst bet. The team was a mess last NBA season as it switched from Nate McMillan to Quin Snyder behind the bench. Replacing disgruntled forward John Collins for Patty Mills, a consistently serviceable guard, could be a boon.
Under Snyder, the Jazz won 58.5% of its games and consistently finished as a top defense. Given Miami’s age and potential fatigue from another long season, Atlanta may start hot off the gates and never look back.
Big Apple, Big Dreams
Now, winning the division is one thing. Winning the Eastern Conference is another. Cleveland and Atlanta are not bad choices to back as underdogs. But hear us out: the Knicks to win the East at 16-1.
This is not your uncle’s Knicks. Jalen Brunson is the real deal. In his first season with the team, the Knicks won a playoff series for the first time in a decade, and it finished as the fifth-best on the NBA spreads with a 56.2% cover rate. Having Josh Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono and adding Donte DiVincenzo completes the Villanova quartet that won the 2016 NCAA Tournament together.
It’s this winning culture that the Knicks have sorely lacked, and these four will make New York a frisky underdog heading to the postseason.
The Playoff Chase: It’s Not About the Title For Some
For most of the other Eastern Conference teams, making the playoffs is their NBA Championship. Indeed, there are a couple of young teams who could take that next step and qualify for the playoffs – or at least make the Play-In Tournament.
Many have their eyes set on the Orlando Magic, who are lined at +165 to make the playoffs and +135 to make the Play-Ins. The inspiring play of last year’s Rookie of the Year, Paolo Banchero, has many buying into this team.
But we believe in another NBA team: the Detroit Pistons at a whopping +950 to make the NBA playoffs and +450 to qualify for the Play-In Tournament. The latter is worth betting as Detroit is done rebuilding and is in contending mode.
Monty Williams tends to get the best out of his young players. And a core comprised of six lottery picks, including three picked in the top five, should do some damage. This team can only be bad for so long. At some point, it will have that Oklahoma City Thunder-sized step up, and why not this season?
Buzzing in Charlotte: Hornets Could Return to Form
The Hornets are also a team everyone tends to overlook. Charlotte faced catastrophic injuries last season and tanked. It nearly won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes but still came away with Brandon Miller, a young Paul George based on scouts’ analyses.
Also re-joining the team is Miles Bridges, who averaged 20 points a game two seasons ago. And the continued development of Mark Williams at center on top of LaMelo Ball playing more than 36 games could translate well for Charlotte, which also started playing better post-All-Star break.
The team began buying into Steve Clifford’s defense-first approach and finished with a 10-12 record and eighth in defensive rating in its final 22 games. As such, expect NBA score predictions to be lower for Hornets games, as this team could just grind its way back to 40+ wins. At +290 to return to the Play-In Tournament (+800 to make the playoffs!), it could be the shrewdest bet on this NBA Eastern Conference betting preview.
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