NBA Eastern Conference Winner Odds Update: Celtics Continue to Reign Supreme

The 2023-2024 NBA campaign is rolling along, and teams are separating themselves as true contenders in the Eastern Conference.

While the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks are favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals, there is plenty of time for other teams to improve ahead of the playoffs.

Let's take a look at the Eastern Conference winner odds from FanDuel Sportsbook and see where everything sits near the end of January.

NBA Eastern Conference Odds

Here is a list of the top-10 odds, with a breakdown of the top three teams.

Boston Celtics (+150)

The Celtics are pacing the league with a 33-10 record in large part due to their much-improved roster from a season ago. Besides having a lethal duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston's starting lineup is comprised of other talented players in Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Derrick White.

Despite having the makeup of a potential championship team last season, the Celtics fell short by losing to the Miami Heat in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Many believe this current iteration of the Celtics has what it takes to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of the season.

Per numberFire's metrics, the Celtics currently have the second-highest nERD rating (74.2), the fourth-best offensive efficiency (121.9), and the second-best defensive efficiency (112.1). Boston also has a league-best 9.8 net rating and is an efficient team, logging the fifth-best true-shooting percentage (59.9%) in the NBA.

Before recently running into the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets, the Celtics won 20 consecutive games at home to begin this season. Two of Boston's 10 losses thus far have come against the Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers on the road.

The Celtics are the lone team in the league to be a top-three squad in offensive rating (120.1) and defensive rating (110.3). Barring a serious injury to one of their key contributors, the Celtics are undoubtedly on track to be one of the league's true title contenders, evidenced by them being the favorites to win it all (+300) in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA Finals odds.

Milwaukee Bucks (+190)

Right behind the Celtics in the East is the Bucks, who are currently the owners of a 29-13 record through their first 42 games. The Bucks are led by two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has the fifth-best odds (+1000) to win this season's MVP, per FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA MVP odds.

Before this season began, the Bucks acquired All-Star Damian Lillard in hopes he could help Milwaukee return to the Finals. While the Bucks are 22nd in defensive rating (116.9), the addition of Lillard has helped them record the second-highest offensive rating (120.7) in the league.

The defensive end of the court is certainly a concern for the Bucks; they are allowing the sixth-most points per game (120.6) in the NBA. Even with the Bucks struggling to slow down opposing teams, they are logging the second-best true-shooting percentage (61.5%).

After winning the title in the 2020-2021 season, the Bucks have lost in the first or second round of the playoffs in back-to-back years. Last season, Milwaukee was beaten by Miami in five games in the first round, which led to Mike Budenholzer being replaced by Adrian Griffin at head coach this season.

The success of the Bucks down the stretch and in the postseason could be reliant on the health of Khris Middleton. If the Bucks can make some improvements on defense, they could position themselves to represent the East in the NBA Finals again.

Philadelphia 76ers (+500)

The last time the 76ers won the Eastern Conference was in the 2000-2001 campaign, with Allen Iverson leading the charge. Similar to recent years, the 76ers are leaning on Joel Embiid to be the team's leader on both ends of the floor.

Embiid is the current favorite to win NBA MVP (+190) after securing the prestigious award last season. The All-Star big man is registering career-best marks in points (35.0), assists (5.9), and steals per game (1.2) while notching a career-high 38.3% usage rate.

Aside from Embiid playing at an elite level, the emergence of Tyrese Maxey has been a welcome sight for the 76ers. In his fourth season in the league, Maxey is the current favorite (-240) in the Most Improved Player odds, via FanDuel Sportsbook.

The 76ers are another well-balanced squad, boasting the sixth-best offensive efficiency (120.9) and the fifth-best defensive efficiency (112.6), per numberFire's metrics. Philadelphia also leads the top-three teams in the East in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.07.

So far, replacing Doc Rivers with Nick Nurse at head coach has been beneficial for the 76ers, leading to a 28-13 record through their first 41 contests. The 76ers have failed to live up to expectations in previous seasons, but they could exceed them this year if Embiid and Maxey continue to play at All-NBA levels.

Looking for more NBA betting opportunities? Check out all of the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.