It’s the Eastern Conference Finals we originally expected and hoped would happen. While there were a few twists in the road, it appears the Boston Celtics will host the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. With that matchup all but assured, BetDSI Sportsbook has opened up Eastern Conference Finals odds for wagering. Perhaps surprising to some, the Celtics are a slight favorite.
Eastern Conference Finals Odds
Boston Celtics -125
Cleveland Cavaliers -105
(Update: BetDSI has pulled the odds off the board after taking significant action on Cleveland)
It’s hard to believe that we’re even at this point as both the Cavaliers and Celtics were underdogs in their second-round series against the Raptors and 76ers, respectively. Both teams have far exceeded expectations as they’re not only competing in their series, they are dominating. Both are up 3-0 and covered every spread.
The Cavs were written off after a number of ugly losses and close wins in their opening round against the Indiana Pacers. While they looked vulnerable, they have owned Toronto the second round. As for the Celtics, they were also doomed to fail as many experts figured it was Philadelphia’s time. Boston needed seven games to edge past the Milwaukee Bucks, so surely an up-and-coming Sixers squad could oust the shorthanded Celtics, right? Apparently not. Boston has outplayed Philadelphia so far, but the ingenuity of Brad Stevens has really been the X factor.
Most of us expected to see these two teams in the Eastern Conference Finals, but not in this fashion. The C’s were supposed to have studs Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward on the floor, but the team seems to be meshing well without them. And while the Cavs and LeBron James were supposed to be propelled by a new supporting cast, many of the players they acquired during the trade deadline overhaul have been non-factors. It’s been the old guard that’s come back to life to defend the throne of King James.
The Celtics were tabbed as slight favorites in this series, but you have to expect the majority of public bettors won’t want to fade James as he’s gunning for his eighth consecutive conference finals. Boston will have a huge edge on the sidelines where the wizardry of Stevens will certainly outclass Tyronn Lue, but this team has a lot of youngsters such as Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown that don’t have much playoff experience this deep in the tournament. The Cavs have tons of it, and they have LeBron Freaking James. Look for Cleveland to advance in what should be a very entertaining Eastern Conference Finals.
