Celtics are worth the bet as the chalk to win the Eastern Conference in the 2024 NBA playoffs

With the NBA Play-In Tournament wrapping up on Friday, the official start of the NBA playoffs is just two days away, and we should expect tons of drama in the postseason with 16 teams competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Unfortunately, there might not be that much drama in the Eastern Conference, at least at the top.

It’s really hard to envision any team besides the Boston Celtics coming out of the East and the sportsbooks agree with their -180 odds.

Are they unbeatable? Of course not, but they are clearly the best team in a very flawed conference.

Before diving into their playoff opposition, let’s take a look at the odds to come out of the East.

Odds via DraftKings

Boston finished the regular season at 64-18 with a +11.4 nightly point differential, both of which were by far the NBA’s best in each respective category.

The Celtics also ranked first in points per possession, effective field goal percentage, defensive free throw rate and offensive efficiency, while finishing third in defensive efficiency.

Their starting five of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White was rated the best in the East, too. Their lineup has the shooting, playmaking, size, defensive versatility and postseason experience to run through the conference.

The offseason additions of Porzingis and Holiday have limited their deficiencies and turned them into a more well-rounded team.

I wouldn’t feel quite as confident in Boston if they had to go through the Nuggets, Thunder Mavericks or Timberwolves en route to the NBA Finals. Obviously, they don’t have to.

Instead, it’s the likes of the Knicks, Bucks, Pacers, 76ers or the play-in participants who are the Celtics’ top challengers.

Do you trust the Knicks with one star player to take down Boston? I don’t.

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid’s health will be critical to Sixers, who have modest odds to win the NBA title

Will the Bucks, who are 14-12 after the All-Star break and will likely start the playoffs without Giannis Antetokounmpo, defeat the Celtics? They have the best chance of anyone if Antetokounmpo is healthy and Damian Lillard is hitting shots.

But even then it would be threading a needle given how underwhelming Milwaukee has looked most of the season, especially down the stretch.

Can the upstart Pacers shock the world? It seems unlikely that an Indiana team that allowed 120.2 points per game this season would beat the Celtics in a seven-game series.

The biggest threat might actually be the Sixers. They have the second-best odds for coming out of the East, which is remarkable considering they only got into the playoffs on Wednesday by beating the Heat by a point in a play-in game.

Joel Embiid is back and Philadelphia resembles the team that got out to a fast start this season. But can Embiid make it through the playoffs healthy? Unlikely.

Could the winner of the Magic-Cavaliers series beat Boston in the second round? In a word, no.

Ultimately, the competition in the Eastern Conference is too flawed and the Celtics are too talented and well-rounded to lose before the NBA Finals.

Make a boring bet and take Boston to make it out of the East, with BetMGM offering the best value at -175.

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.