Where Celtics’ 2022 NBA Finals Odds Sit After Advancing To Second Round
Boston is the betting favorite to represent the Eastern Conference
The Boston Celtics took care of business Monday night at Barclays Center, sweeping the Brooklyn Nets out the door to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The Celtics, who entered the postseason as the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed, became the first team to punch their tickets to Round 2, where they await the winner of the first-round series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls.
The Celtics emerged as the favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals during their series against the Nets, which Boston dominated by stifling Brooklyn's superstars, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Now, Vegas really thinks highly of the C's.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, as of Tuesday afternoon, Boston is the +155 favorite to reach the NBA Finals in the East. That's a notch above the top-seeded Miami Heat, who have +250 odds to win the conference while attempting to fend off the Atlanta Hawks in Round 1.
Here are the full odds, per DraftKings Sportsbook, for who will win the Eastern Conference:
Boston Celtics +155
Miami Heat +250
Milwaukee Bucks +330
Philadelphia 76ers +500
Toronto Raptors +5000
Atlanta Hawks +20000
Chicago Bulls +25000
The Celtics also have the league's second-shortest odds to win the NBA Finals, at +370, trailing only the Golden State Warriors, who are listed as +280 favorites while leading the Denver Nuggets 3-1 in their first-round playoff series in the Western Conference.
Here are the full odds, per DraftKings Sportsbook, for who will win the NBA Finals:
Golden State Warriors +280
Boston Celtics +370
Phoenix Suns +450
Miami Heat +650
Milwaukee Bucks +750
Memphis Grizzlies +1200
Philadelphia 76ers +1400
Dallas Mavericks +1600
Utah Jazz +7000
New Orleans Pelicans +12000
Minnesota Timberwolves +12000
Toronto Raptors +15000
Denver Nuggets +50000
Atlanta Hawks +60000
Chicago Bulls +60000
The Celtics have a difficult road to the NBA Finals. Not only did the Nets boast more talent than your typical No. 7 seed. But Boston now might have to knock off the defending NBA champions (Bucks) and the top seed in the Eastern Conference (Heat) to keep their championship aspirations alive.
That said, it's hard to argue with the results. The Celtics have been rolling since the calendar flipped to 2022, and they kept that momentum going throughout the first round, making a statement against the Nets that certainly caught the attention of oddsmakers and bettors alike.
