NBA Eastern Conference Odds: Raptors, Cavaliers, 76ers Considered Only Real Contenders

The Eastern Conference is more wide open than it has been in years. It’s clear that LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers won’t stroll to the NBA Finals like they have in each of the last three seasons, and the No.1 seed Toronto Raptors are having their usual playoff struggles in the first round.

Cleveland and Toronto have the best odds to represent the East in the finals, though it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Philadelphia 76ers win the conference. Philadelphia has been the East’s most impressive team through the first week of the postseason, giving them the third-best odds and putting them in the conference’s top tier.

5Dimes gives Toronto +165 odds to win the East, followed by Cleveland (+227) and Philadelphia (+240). No one else comes close with the Boston Celtics ranking fourth (+3250) and the Indiana Pacers (+5000) ranking fifth. The Milwaukee Bucks (+8500), Washington Wizards (+12500) and Miami Heat (+25000) are all long shots to reach the NBA Finals.

With the three other Eastern Conference series sitting at 2-2, Philadelphia holds a 3-1 series lead over Miami. The 76ers’ only loss came when Joel Embiid was sidelined with an injury. One more victory would set up a second-round matchup with either the Kyrie Irving-less Celtics or the No.7 seed Bucks.

Rookie of the Year favorite Ben Simmons is nearly averaging a triple-double through four playoff games. Embiid is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate leading one of the NBA’s best defensive teams. That might make Philadelphia the East’s most complete team on paper, though the 76ers are lacking in playoff experience.

Toronto led the conference with 59 regular-season wins and even posted a better record than the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The Raptors have developed a reputation for underachieving in the playoffs, and their series with the No.8 seed Wizards is tied after four games. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry have to step up if they want to change that perception.

LeBron James remains the best basketball player on the planet, but he’s got less help than he’s had in a long time. He leads the Cavaliers with 32.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game against Indiana. No other Cleveland player is even averaging more than 12.0 points or 2.0 assists per game.

James has played in each of the last seven NBA Finals.