Prospective NBA First-Round Eastern Conference Playoff Series Prices

The NBA season has been suspended for now. No one knows if or when it will resume, but if it does come back to life and the season is not canceled, the remainder of the regular season would probably be skipped in favor of a direct shift to the playoffs using the current suspended standings. If those standings are applied, the four matchups below would represent the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Let’s examine these NBA series prices with a quick preview of the series itself.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS VS. ORLANDO MAGIC

BUCKS SERIES ODDS: -5000

MAGIC SERIES ODDS: +1550

The Bucks had been the NBA’s best team this season, and it is worth noting that Giannis Antetokounmpo got injured just before the coronavirus shut down the NBA campaign. With Giannis able to get healthy, the Bucks would be in ideal shape heading into this series against the Magic, who have done well to be a playoff team but simply lack the horses needed to stay with the Bucks in a best-of-seven series. This should be a sweep if the series goes forward.

TORONTO RAPTORS VS. BROOKLYN NETS

RAPTORS ODDS: -1400

NETS ODDS: +825

The Raptors would benefit from Marc Gasol getting time to rest and heal. He wasn’t always available during the regular season. Toronto has quality, proven depth – you saw it last season, and you saw it this season when prominent players were injured. Toronto has so much self-confidence after winning the NBA Finals in 2019. This team doesn’t doubt itself anymore; it should be able to deal with the Nets, regardless of whether Kyrie Irving can play for Brooklyn. The gap between the two teams is noticeable.

BOSTON CELTICS VS. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

CELTICS ODDS: -290

76ERS ODDS: +245

The Sixers would certainly have a chance, and no player on the court in this series would be more motivated to win than Al Horford, who went from the Celtics to Philadelphia in the 2019 offseason. The 76ers acquired Horford not just to improve their own roster, but to take away the player who was such a problem for them when the Celtics faced the Sixers in the playoffs. Horford knew how to guard the Sixers’ low-post players. Horford can now be a defensive problem the Celtics will have to figure out. Fortunately for Boston, the Celtics have a player the Sixers can’t solve: Jayson Tatum played at an MVP level in the months before the NBA season was suspended. If he plays at this same high level, the Celtics are probably the second-best team in the East behind the Bucks. Boston still deserves the edge in this series, partly because of coaching. Brett Brown has simply not worked out for the Sixers and frankly should have been fired by now.

MIAMI HEAT VS. INDIANA PACERS

HEAT ODDS: -280

PACERS ODDS: +235

The big question in this series: Can Victor Oladipo immediately play at an elite level to match Jimmy Butler, or would it be hard for Vic to promptly put his stamp on this series? Oladipo was out for a long time with an injury. Getting him back into the flow of play would be a challenge for the Pacers. The Heat don’t face any similar problem on their own roster. Miami in seven, maybe six, feels like the right call here.

Check out the BetOnline social media channels on Twitter and Instagram for the latest sports news and betting odds.