Celtics Eastern Conference Odds Shorten to +500 Amidst Impressive 10-2 Start

• The Boston Celtics have started the year 10-2, including wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.
• The Celtics are both 5-0 ATS and SU against teams with a winning record so far.
• They are now down to +500 to win the Eastern Conference.

The Boston Celtics were viewed as one of the wild card teams entering the 2019-20 season. Many people figured they could be an Eastern Conference contender if everything went right, but nobody was quite certain after last year’s flop.

Everything has gone right for them in a 10-2 start (besides the injury to Gordon Hayward) and now they’re at +500 to win the East.

Are they worth a bet?

2019-20 Eastern Conference Odds

Odds taken November 18th, 2019.

Celtics Don’t Need Luck of the Irish

The Celtics have started the year in impressive fashion as they’ve won 10 of their first 12 games. Their only losses have come to the Philadelphia 76ers and the Sacramento Kings – both on the road. Their entire roster has shined as all of the players who had some question marks have stepped up.

We weren’t sure how Kemba Walker would fit in or if Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum would step up, but all has gone swimmingly. Even Gordon Hayward has looked like an All-Star, although he’s now out with a broken left hand. Brown is contributing 20.1 points per game while Tatum is adding 19.7.

Celtics bench says it all. From the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat pic.twitter.com/igbqL4Isrx

— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) November 17, 2019

Last year, this was a team with a number of underachieving youngsters and a point guard who didn’t fit. Now the Celtics have three or four guys a night who are playing at a borderline All-Star level. With this type of balance and the coaching of Brad Stevens, this team has become a serious factor in the East.

Eastern Contenders Have Struggled

We entered the year thinking the Milwaukee Bucks were the team to beat in the East while teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers and possibly the Brooklyn Nets would be among the top four. As it turns out, the Bucks look good but the other teams have all stumbled so far.

The 76ers have dropped five of their last eight games, the Pacers are just 7-6 overall and the Nets wouldn’t even be in the playoffs if they started today. The Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat have exceeded expectations, and both occupy a top four spot in the Eastern Conference standings as of right now.

Keep in mind that the Celtics are playing without Hayward, so they could get even better as we move along.

Celtics Schedule Has Been Easy

One thing to keep in mind is that the Celtics have mostly had a soft schedule. Sure, they beat the Bucks and Raptors at home, but other than that, they’ve played almost no one.

They’ve beaten the New York Knicks twice, Charlotte, Cleveland and Dallas, and while a win at San Antonio is nice, the Spurs are not who they used to be.

Feels like we could have an idea who the Celtics actually are by the end of the week. Win a game or two at the Suns/Clippers and Nuggets without Gordon Hayward and that really says something.

Gonna be fun watching Boston navigate this difficult stretch of the schedule this week.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) November 18, 2019

Boston is taking care of business, which is obviously crucial, but keep in mind that they’ve only played a handful of good teams so far.

What’s the Best Bet?

It’s still quite early for these NBA conference odds but what we have learned is that the Celtics are a contender. For those who weren’t sure about them before, this team does look like they are a legit threat in the East.

At this point, I do like them more than I like the Bucks or the 76ers, so I’d be more inclined to take a shot with them than anyone else at this point. Both the Bucks and 76ers are a concern for me come playoff time. Meanwhile, if the Celtics keep this up, they’ll have home-court advantage and that will give them a key edge.

They have the balance, the coaching and the defense to really make some noise this year. We weren’t sure how it would all come together before but now we have a clear indication that things are working – and are working quite well.