After Opening at Odds of +150 To Win Atlantic Division, 76ers Now Odds-On Favorites at -130
- The 76ers went from +150 to -130 favorites to win the Atlantic Division in just over a month
- Philadelphia finished second last year with 51-31 record
- Are the Sixers a good bet, or do the Celtics have better value at +350?
The Philadelphia 76ers were forced to endure months of anguish following a Kawhi Leonard Game 7 buzzer-beating shot that sent the Toronto Raptors to the Eastern Conference finals and knocked Philly out of the NBA playoffs.
With Leonard now bouncing from the East to play for his hometown L.A. Clippers and Kevin Durant still a year away from joining the Brooklyn Nets, the door is wide open for the 76ers to win the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference championship.
Odds To Win The Atlantic Division In 2020
| Team | 2018-19 Record (Div. Rank) | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia 76ers | 51-31 (2nd) | -130 |
| Boston Celtics | 49-33 (3rd) | +350 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 42-40 (4th) | +500 |
| Toronto Raptors | 58-24 (1st) | +550 |
| New York Knicks | 17-65 (5th) | +10000 |
Odds taken 08/12/2019
In the latest NBA division odds and lists the 76ers as heavy -130 favorites. On July 8, the 76ers had +150 odds to win the division (on average), but the lines drastically changed when Leonard announced two days later that he was signing with the Clippers.
The swing in the odds shouldn’t solely be pinned on Leonard’s departure from the Atlantic Division, though. Despite losing Jimmy Butler to free agency, the Sixers still arguably boast the strongest starting five in the NBA with Ben Simmons and big man Joel Embiid the centerpieces of the lineup.
Joel Embiid drive & windmill
Ben Simmons behind-the-back
Joel Embiid follows up his missCountin' down the TOP 3 @sixers PLAYS of the 2018-19 season! #TeamDay
Which was your favorite? pic.twitter.com/dXilzgK6YT
— NBA (@NBA) August 8, 2019
Throw Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris and Al Horford in as key supporting cast members and suddenly the 76ers have a championship-caliber roster in the making.
Sixers Will Push 60-Win Season
But is there value in taking the Sixers to win the division at -130? Which team will challenge Philadelphia for first place in the Atlantic?
The 76ers finished second in the division last season — seven games behind the defending-champion Raptors. Philadelphia had a solid 51-31 record and posted 31 victories on home court.
In a watered-down Eastern Conference, expect the 76ers to push for a 60-win season in 2019-20
In a watered-down Eastern Conference, expect the 76ers to push for a 60-win season in 2019-20 with Milwaukee the only other franchise that will challenge for the conference title.
Expect Simmons to make huge strides entering his third season with the 76ers. He will be relied on more offensively so his PPG average of 16.9 from last season should be in the low 20s.
The Raptors will still be a solid team, but the champions will take a step back offensively without Leonard. That leaves Kyrie Irving and the Nets as the only other team in the Atlantic that will give Philly a run for its money.
Brooklyn has enticing +500 odds to win the Atlantic Division, but bettors should pump the brakes on putting money down on the Nets — for this year anyways — as Philadelphia is the bigger and stronger team.
If there’s a window for the Sixers to win the division and Eastern Conference, this will be the year to do it, as Durant recovers from a season-ending Achilles injury.
The odds on the Sixers to win the division may get shorter, so now is the time to jump on the -130 betting line.
Angelo Montilla is a writer, visual design instructor and graphic designer based on the East Coast. As a journalism graduate, his experience in the media industry spans more than 15 years and includes work with Nation Network, SportsBreak, Featurd, Hockey Writers and the Windsor Star.
