With the All-Star Game now a thing of the past, we're entering the final portion of the regular season. With that in mind, we're looking at some best bets to win each Eastern Conference Division:
1. Team to Win Central Division
The Milwaukee Bucks are the favorites to win this division, but the Chicago Bulls are currently up 2.5 games on both them and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sure, Chicago is dealing with some significant injuries in the rotation, but the Bulls still have DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, and Zach LaVine looked pretty healthy during the All-Star Game. At some point, Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball will be back with the team, helping Chicago to stabilize its defense. But this Bulls team already plays with serious attitude. They don't take any nights off and they know the importance of continuing to win regular-season games. That is something that separates Chicago from a team like Milwaukee, which is still experimenting on how to play its best basketball once it reaches the playoffs. And it doesn't hurt that the Bulls are on a five-game winning streak right now. They should hit the ground running after the break.
THE PICK: Bulls (+200)
2. Team to Win Atlantic Division
The Philadelphia 76ers are currently in front of the Boston Celtics by two games at the top of the Atlantic, but the Celtics are a pretty good value to finish the year with the top spot. Boston is, by far, the best defensive team in the entire NBA right now, and the team has already had a few games to get comfortable with Derrick White — the team acquired the two-way guard at the trade deadline. White's ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor only makes this Boston team stronger, and Ime Udoka's team seems poised for a strong ending to the season. Meanwhile, the Sixers are going to be getting James Harden back after the break. Harden is obviously one of the best players in the world, but there could be some growing pains as they try to work him into their system. Philadelphia is a legitimate contender to win an NBA championship this year, but things could get a bit muddy in the short term.
THE PICK: Celtics (+350)
3. Team to Win Southeast Division
The Miami Heat look poised to run away with the Southeast Division, which is why they're currently -20000 to finish the job. The Charlotte Hornets are second in the division at +4000 and the Atlanta Hawks aren't far behind at +4500. However, both of those teams are roughly 10 games back at this point in time, and the Heat are only getting healthier. With that mind, this is one of the divisions that is currently looking unplayable on the futures market. You're better off using your money elsewhere, unless you're looking to shell out absurd odds on a ticket for the Heat to win.
THE PICK: Stay Away (No value)
