NBA Futures: Best Bets to Win Eastern Conference
With two months of the NBA season nearly complete, fans and bettors have had ample time to get a feel for what’s what and who’s who in the Association this year. With the All-Star festivities fast approaching and the second half of the season looming on the other side, now makes for a great time to consider some mid-season NBA futures bets.
The futures book lines have certainly moved a great deal from where they were before the season began. They’ll only continue to fluctuate as we draw closer to the postseason. Based on what we’ve seen through the season’s first nine weeks, here are my three best NBA futures bets to win the Eastern Conference.
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NBA Eastern Conference Futures Betting Odds
All odds courtesy of BetMGM
NBA Eastern Conference Futures Best Bets
Milwaukee Bucks (+250)
You’d be hard-pressed to find many NBA betting analysts who would’ve predicted the Bucks’ futures odds to be this long nine weeks into the season. The Bucks have taken a step back from their regular-season dominance of the past few years. Milwaukee’s record sits at just 16-13, and the team has lost five-straight games. If there were ever a time to buy low on Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference futures market, it’s now.
While Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton have continued to star for the Bucks, the team notably lacks a true third contributor. Of course, that was why the team went out and acquired Jrue Holiday in a trade this offseason. Holiday, however, remains sidelined indefinitely due to coronavirus protocols, and the Bucks are clearly missing his presence on the court.
It hasn’t been as pretty of a start as many likely envisioned, but I’m fully confident in the Bucks’ ability to turn things around. They’ll certainly be a part of the Eastern Conference postseason, at which point perhaps not going all-out for a dominant regular season will be a good thing.
Philadelphia 76ers (+550)
The 76ers currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 19-10. At this point, Doc Rivers has made positive adjustments that Brett Brown couldn’t in his time as the team’s head coach. Philadelphia has proven to be one of the more balanced teams in the NBA. They rank ninth in scoring (114.6 points per game) and 12th in scoring defense (111.7).
Of course, when praising the 76ers’ play through the first two months, it’s impossible not to mention Joel Embiid by name. The center is having his best season as a pro, averaging a double-double with 29.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He is firmly in contention for the NBA MVP award, currently situated behind only LeBron James and Nikola Jokic with the third-shortest odds at +450.
The Sixers have also been getting nightly contributions from Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons, and the presence of sharpshooters Seth Curry and Danny Green has helped with floor spacing. There’s no shame at all in betting on the current conference frontrunner at better than 5-1 odds.
Toronto Raptors (+2200)
How about a hefty longshot as our final Eastern Conference bet? The 2020-21 Toronto Raptors are far from the same team that won the NBA championship two seasons ago — Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and Danny Green are all on other teams. Yet it’s impossible to count the Raptors out from making noise in the Eastern Conference. The team got off to a slow start this season, but they played better of late. They are 14-15, good for sixth in the conference standings.
Fred VanVleet has been the prime bright spot for the Raptors over the season’s first two months. His averages of 20.4 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds have been much welcomed, especially seeing how Pascal Siakam has struggled in the early going. That said, Siakam has been finding his game in recent weeks. These two homegrown players could be the face of the franchise for years to come. Of course, Kyle Lowry also remains a reliable contributor for the time being.
The Andre Drummond trade rumors are another reason to lock in a futures bet on Toronto. The Raptors are in desperate need of stability at center, something that Drummond would provide. Should they manage to pull off a deal, their Eastern Conference odds will surely come down a few notches.
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Henry John is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Henry, check out his archive and follow him @HankTimeSports.