The NBA futures to bet in super-tight Eastern Conference playoff race

Motion Community’s NBA professional provides up three betting suggestions within the ultra-tight Jap Convention.

Warmth Underneath 54.5 Wins (-120, DraftKings)

The Warmth are 43-22, which implies Miami has 17 video games left. In different phrases, the Warmth would want to complete 12-5 or higher to hit this Over. And actually, I’m unsure they’ll must.

Look, this isn’t even actually a vote in opposition to Miami. The Warmth are actually good and at last wholesome, and now phrase is that Victor Oladipo is wholesome and again quickly, too. The Warmth have a comparatively smooth schedule and will win loads of video games. Nevertheless, I’m simply unsure they’ll have any actual must get to 55 wins.

Coming into Sunday, the Warmth have been three video games forward of Philly, and Miami was already 3.5 video games plus a tiebreaker forward of the Bulls.

They may not must go a lot better than .500 the remainder of the way in which to coast to a simple 1-seed, and at that time, there’s no motivation to play this older roster as an alternative of resting Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry for the playoffs after a grueling, injury-plagued season.

Jimmy butler (22) hi-fives Tyler Herro (14).
Jimmy butler (22) hi-fives Tyler Herro (14).
NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

The Warmth shut their season in opposition to the Bulls, Raptors, Hornets, Hawks, and Magic. 4 of these groups will badly need wins to enhance their postseason possibilities, and the Magic may have already clinched their tank by then, too. I’m not fading Miami, simply the Warmth’s motivation to get to 55 wins. Give me the Underneath.

76ers Over 2.5 Seed (+145, DraftKings)

The Warmth are nearly actually locked into one of many high two seeds, which implies we solely want one different Jap staff to complete forward of Philadelphia to hit this Over. Possibly Milwaukee will get wholesome and closes robust. Maybe Boston’s surge up the standings continues. Possibly Chicago or Cleveland makes a giant push for the division title.

Even when none of these issues occur, we nonetheless don’t actually know that Philadelphia will keep wholesome and be nice. Joel Embiid or James Harden may get harm once more, and the wins might not come as straightforward as soon as the schedule stiffens up, and groups have an opportunity to recreation plan in opposition to their new look.

We don’t want any miracles right here. We solely actually need a greater than 40 % probability that any a kind of issues bounces in our favor, and Philly finally ends up wanting the 2-seed. Look, Embiid is round even odds to win the MVP, and if the Sixers end as a top-2 seed, he's a really robust favourite to win that award. The truth that he’s not a heavier favourite is an efficient reminder of why there’s worth right here.

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid reacts
Joel Embiid’s absence leaves the Sixers down 5 starters amid a frightening highway stretch.
AP Picture

Celtics +370 to Win Atlantic Division (DraftKings)

I’ve been pumping up Boston for just a few weeks now, and this appears to be like like a good way to take a position. The Celtics have the most effective protection within the NBA proper now. They’ve moved Robert Williams out of the paint and unleashed him as a assist defender, and that has additionally put Al Horford right into a switching position the place he’s at his finest. Derrick White’s presence has been an enormous addition on each ends too, particularly instead of Dennis Schroder.

The Celtics are flying now. They'd gained 13 of their final 15 getting into Sunday, with a lot of these wins in dominant style, and so they even have a really winnable schedule the remainder of the way in which. Simply three of their subsequent 13 video games are in opposition to groups within the high 4 in both convention, and a troublesome closing stretch on the highway in opposition to the Bulls, Bucks, and Grizzlies may find yourself simpler than it appears if one or two of these groups is already resting for the playoffs.

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