Who are Favourites to Win the NBA Eastern Conference?

The NBA Eastern Conference looks to be a battle between two franchises this season, both aiming to reach the Championship game and take home a title. The Brooklyn Nets have been set up with the sole intention of winning a Championship and that is without one of their big three for a period of time. 

The Milwaukee Bucks won the Championship game last season, taking home the NBA title and come back looking for more. However, they are not favourites to win the Eastern Conference, never mind the over Championship, showing that bookmakers don’t expect them to repeat. As teams start the season and show us what they have on the court, expect the betting markets to change, as those who are placing wagers via new betting apps make their picks and choose who to side with. 

The Brooklyn Nets are built on having a big three at the top of their line up. This is the reason why they are favourites to win the Eastern Championship, but they will not have one of those players available for a period of time at the start of the season. 

Kyrie Irving will not be with the team until he changes his stance on the Covid-19 vaccination program, which leaves a big hole for the Nets to fill. However, it is a sign of just how good they are considering that even without Iriving, the Nets are favourites to win the conference. 

James Harden and Kevin Durrant will have to shoulder even more responsibility in his absence. They are capable of doing that in the short term, but how that looks for a full season, including the playoffs, remains to be seen. 

The Nets will need Irving in the playoffs, and this is a situation that punters certainly need to monitor over the coming weeks and months. 

The Bucks won the NBA title in July and come back looking for more. The main reason for their success was one man, Giannis Antetokounmpo who put up one of the best ever performances in the NBA finals that we have ever seen. 

The Bucks have gone with a simple approach, aiming to keep together all the elements of their squad from last season that they feel they need. With that core in place, and the addition of more scoring from Grayson Allen, this is a team built to do well once more. 

However, what may cause problems for the Bucks in the long term over this season is the fact that others around them have got better. They are a good team yes, but others may have improved past them. 

With Kyrie Irving in the line up, the Nets would have the quality to win the East with ease. Having to deal with his absence makes life tougher, but they may still be good enough to win the conference, even without him, and if he does come back at any point in the season to make a difference, then that is going to make their task easier.