If the playoffs are anything like the regular season, you can expect a wild ride for the Eastern Conference title. The top four teams all won more than 50 games and were separated by just two games in the standings. Hell, even the bottom half of the postseason participants were close with just 10 games separating No. 1 seed Miami from No. 10 seed Charlotte.
The higher seeded teams have an advantage and history on their side. The top four get home court advantage in the first round because of their superior record during the regular season. And since the league expanded its playoff format to 16 teams in 1984, no team lower than a three-seed has advanced to the Finals in a regulation season. The Heat reached the title series in the pandemic shortened 2020 campaign and the Knicks made it as the No. 8 seed in the lockout shortened 1999 campaign.
The 2022 NBA Playoffs begin on Saturday, April 16. Betting options for every game and series as well as futures and props are available at BookMaker.eu.
NBA Odds To Win 2022 Eastern Conference
Milwaukee Bucks +225
Brooklyn Nets +350
Boston Celtics +375
Miami Heat +500
Philadelphia 76ers +550
Toronto Raptors +2800
Chicago Bulls +4000
Atlanta Hawks +5000
Cleveland Cavaliers +8000
Charlotte Hornets +25000
Though Miami led the pack with 53 wins, the Heat are the fourth favorite on the odds board at +500. They lack the big names some of the other clubs have and don’t get a lot of respect because of it. But they can play using a team approach that saw seven players average double figures in scoring. The Heat will host the No. 7 seed that emerges from the play-in tournament in the first round.
The Bucks are the defending champs until they are eliminated, which is why they are the favorite to win the conference title. They also have Giannis Antetokounmpo, arguably the best player in the NBA, on their side. The Freak had another stellar campaign averaging 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists. And the supporting cast that beat Phoenix four straight games after falling behind 0-2 in last year’s Finals is back. They scored the third-most points in the league and will try to outscore opponents since they lagged defensively. Still, you can’t overlook them.
Claiming the third-seed with 51 wins, the Bucks are in the same position they were last season when they won their first championship in 50 years. They take on No. 6 Chicago in the first round. The Bulls had a quiet finish after a blistering start dropping down in the standings. Little success against the top four in the conference – they went 1-14 – doesn’t instill much confidence. They lost all four games to the Bucks and were outscored by 49 points in the last two.
Though they are the second seed there isn’t a huge gap in the price of the Celtics. If we’re going off second half results they should probably be the prohibitive favorite since they’ve been that good. The Cs turned their season around following a home loss to Portland on Jan. 21. They soon followed with a nine-game winning streak and went 28-7 rising from the ashes to earn the No. 2 seed. They boasted the No. 1 defense in the league and rode the rising stardom of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Williams. They will be without their defensive leader, however, as Robert Williams III is out for at least the first round with an injury.
Championship talk in Philadelphia subsided a bit after being at an all-time high when the club acquired James Harden in a blockbuster deadline deal with Brooklyn. The club was 14-7 in games Harden played after the deal and the Sixers are a threat with likely MVP Joel Embiid by his side. Embiid averaged a league-best 30.6 points with 11.7 boards. And with those two on the floor the Sixers outscored opponents by nearly 16 points per 100 possessions. Defense and a lack of depth will likely keep them from winning the conference title, though.
A title favorite before the season started, Brooklyn overcame a chaotic year to at least have a chance. Injuries, COVID work issues and the trade of Harden decimated the club during the season that saw them endure an 11-game losing streak at one point. Despite having to win one play-in game, the Nets are second on the odds chart. Oddsmakers like that Kevin Durant and Kyrie are able to play making Brooklyn a handful for any team they go against.
While the bottom half of the field was strong during the year, we’re unlikely to see one of those clubs emerge as East champs, except maybe Brooklyn. Anything is possible, though, like Atlanta reaching the conference final last season as a No. 5 seed. It’s a bigger hill for the Hawks to climb this year as a play-in participant, and while I search for a reason to back someone other than the Bucks, I can’t come up with one.
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