Now that online Massachusetts sports betting is legal, Celtics fans can get in on the action at their favorite sportsbook. With the Celtics near the top of the standings and the favorite to win the NBA title, what are the best spots to bet on Boston in their pursuit of Banner 18?
Here are three C's bets to make now that online sports betting is legal in Massachusetts.
3 Celtics Bets to Make Now That Online Sports Betting is Legal in Massachusetts
1. Celtics to be the No. 1 Seed
Boston is +270 to be the No. 1 seed at DraftKings. They currently trail the Bucks by three games in the loss column, with 18 games to play for Milwaukee. The Bucks had surged to the top behind a 16-game winning streak that ended Saturday to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Usually, three games is too much to catch up in that span of time. After all, If the Celtics go 10-5 to close, the Bucks only need to go 11-7 to clinch the top seed.
However, the Bucks have been way less consistent than Boston this season, and the Celtics are the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. While much of that is due to the liability various books have on Boston in terms of the money wagered on them, it’s also because Boston’s power rating (the number used to set lines for games) is higher. The metrics all agree that Boston is a better team.
Are they so much better as to make up three games over the Bucks’ final 18?
At +270, using our odds calculator, the bet suggests there is a roughly 26% chance of the Celtics overtaking Milwaukee.
But the issue here is about the wax and wane of the regular season. This is literally the lowest point for the Celtics this season; they are likely to get back to full health at some point over this stretch. Boston also has a slightly easier schedule remaining than Milwaukee.
On the season, the Celtics are third in schedule-adjusted offense and fourth in schedule-adjusted defense. The Bucks, meanwhile, are third in defense and 18th in offense. They have outperformed their metrics in win percentage all year. You can use that as proof they'll continue to do so, but history says that overall point differential plays out over the course of a larger sample.
Boston can make up the difference, especially with one more to play vs. Milwaukee on March 30.
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2. Malcolm Brogdon +100 to Win Sixth Man of the Year
Immanuel Quickley is somehow the co-favorite now because he had a few great games during a winning streak. That’s nonsense. The last time voters were polled, Brogdon was the leader. Quickley does not fit the historical profile of a winner and is riding a huge wave behind a 14-points-per-game measure. Even his advanced analytics numbers are behind Brogdon.
Brogdon leads the NBA in 3-point percentage this season for the East’s second-best team. There isn’t another strong candidate (outside of Norman Powell, who leads the league in bench scoring but has played fewer games for a worse team in the Clippers).
This is a great opportunity to get a good number on the safest choice to win Sixth Man of the Year.
3. Boston Celtics to Win the NBA Title +310
The Celtics are tied with the Bucks as the co-favorites to win it all at FanDuel, giving an extra 10-20 cents on the Finals price compared to most other books.
The Celtics won’t have to go through the Bucks until the conference finals. That’s for sure. If they stay at No. 2, they get the 76ers in the second round (most likely), a team they have owned in the Joel Embiid era. If get the No. 1 seed, they face an inexperienced Cleveland Cavaliers team or an outgunned New York Knicks team (despite the Knicks’ double overtime win on Sunday). Their path looks excellent.
The Celtics just went to the Finals and have been the best team in the league up until the last two weeks. If we think there’s value on them to secure the No. 1 seed, there has to be value in them to win the title.
When you examine the Eastern Conference, you have to ask which teams have the chance to beat the Celtics. The Bucks have the worst performance in actual Effective Field Goal Percentage vs. Expected eFG% over the past four postseasons, including the season they won the title.
The Cavaliers don’t have the experience as stated above, Philly can’t get past Boston for some reason, and there are no other real threats. You have to be able to beat Boston’s versatility of style, depth, and shooting. No team has that combination.
At 3-1, you can get in on the Green Team right now at a reduced number with a chance to buy low on them.
