For the first time this season, the NBA has an odds-on championship favorite – the Boston Celtics.
In the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown era, Boston have made seven consecutive postseason appearances – with the previous six including one trip to the NBA Finals and four to the Eastern Conference Finals.
At this stage, the Celtics are expected to win and falling short is simply not an option. Following Tuesday’s Game 1 blowout win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to open the second round, oddsmakers cut Boston’s title odds to -120.
For those who are unfamiliar with betting markets, this means the Celtics have an implied probability of 55% to land the championship – making that outcome considered more than likely.
Since dropping Game 2 in the first round series against Miami, Boston have won four straight blowouts and Joe Mazzulla’s well-oiled unit are undoubtedly the most feared side in the playoffs.
Boston have now recorded the most 25-point wins in a single season in NBA history (regular season & playoffs) with 19 – and there’s every chance that number continues to grow.
The Celtics have scored 659 playoff points so far whilst allowing just 556 – outscoring their opponents by over 100 and this level of dominance has led to plenty of cash being wagered in their favor.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White lead the way as the @celtics jump out to a 1-0 series lead! ☘️
JB: 32 PTS (12-18 FGM), 4 3PM, 6 REB
D-White: 25 PTS, 7 3PM, 5 AST#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/qdlqseDCk7— NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2024
Tatum is seeing the floor better than he ever has in his career, reading defenses and playing out of double and triple terms with perfection. His shooting numbers leave a bit to be desired but we can expect that to improve with rhythm.
Derrick White is having one of the hottest postseasons in Celtics history to date – his 28 made threes rank first over a six-game span in franchise history whilst recording 22.8 points per game.
Brown is widely regarded as one of the league’s best two-way stars and his recent performances have done everything to back that up – leading the team in scoring on great efficiency.
With the likes of Al Horford, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet playing their respective roles in impressive style – it’s hard to look past the Celtics in the race for the championship.
Kristaps Porzingis suffered an untimely injury in Game 4 against Miami but he’s expected to return for the Conference Finals and Boston seem to be coping just fine without him.
The city of Boston will feel their time in the sun is finally here after years of heartache, with the Celtics in pole position to return to the pinnacle of basketball in America.