Amid the chaos of the NBA playoffs, the Boston Celtics have emerged as the new favorites to win the championship, catching the attention of bookmakers.
For the first time this season, FanDuel and DraftKings Sportsbooks have listed the Celtics as the outright leaders in championship odds, with -130 and -115 respectively.
This shift indicates that bookmakers now believe the Celtics have a greater than 50% chance of clinching the title, translating to implied odds of 56.5% at -130 and 53.5% at -115.
Previously, the Celtics had been strong contenders throughout the season, but only recently did their odds shift into negative territory. Before the second round of the playoffs, they were at even money (+100 odds) on FanDuel.
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Their rise in the odds comes as their primary competition struggles. The Denver Nuggets, who were second in the betting odds, have tumbled to fifth with +1600 odds on FanDuel after losing the first two games at home in their Western Conference semifinal against the Timberwolves. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have moved up to the second favorite at +300, with the Thunder following at +600 after taking a 1-0 lead in their series against the Mavericks.
In the Eastern Conference, the Knicks are second behind the Celtics with +1200 odds at FanDuel, despite battling injuries including a critical one to star forward OG Anunoby. They currently lead their series against the Pacers 2-0.
The Celtics are heavily favored to win the Eastern Conference Finals with -390 odds at FanDuel and are also heavily favored in their current semifinal series against the Cavs, with a staggering -8000 odds that imply a 98.8% probability of winning.
While the Celtics might not be receiving as much media attention as Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, their performance speaks volumes. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown continue to dominate, Derrick White has proven himself as a formidable third scorer, and Jrue Holiday brings championship experience and defensive prowess. Kristaps Porzingis, although currently injured, is expected to return this postseason.
All things considered, the Celtics’ position as favorites is well-founded, but as always in the playoffs, dynamics can shift rapidly.
