Nets Vs. Celtics Playoff Odds Expose Sportsbook Confusion

• The Boston Celtics are -135 favorites over the Brooklyn Nets in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs.
• The Nets are +650 to win the NBA championship, while the Celtics have +900 odds to do so.
• This contradiction represents a chance to get in on the ground floor for Celtics bettors, whose team might be underrated.

NEW YORK – The Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets are set to face off in the first round of the NBA Playoffs after the Nets grabbed the seventh seed with a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Play-In game.

The Celtics are the higher seed, but many regard the Nets as the king-in-waiting in the Eastern Conference, despite a poor regular season.

This contradiction in perception can be seen in how the two teams’ respective odds are treated by the online sportsbooks.

Boston Celtics Vs. Brooklyn Nets Odds To Win Series

• Brooklyn Nets +115
• Boston Celtics -135

The Celtics are favored to win the series at the major online sportsbooks, with -135 odds to do so, while the Nets are +115 underdogs.

However, in terms of odds to win the Championship, the Nets are still ahead of the Celtics, which is confusing in the context of being underdogs to win the series.

NBA 2022 Championship Winner Odds

• Phoenix Suns +260
• Milwaukee Bucks +500
• Brooklyn Nets +650
• Golden State Warriors +850
• Boston Celtics +900
• Miami Heat +1000

This is also true of odds to win the Eastern Conference – the Nets have shorter odds, despite being Round 1 underdogs to the Celtics.

2022 Eastern Conference Winner Odds

• Milwaukee Bucks +220
• Brooklyn Nets +380
• Miami Heat +380
• Boston Celtics +450
• Philadelphia 76ers +500

This contradiction can perhaps be resolved by a convoluted argument involving the Nets rounding into form the longer they stay in the playoffs.

On its face, however, it seems illogical for a first round underdog to be one of the favorites to win the conference – above the team they’re an underdog to!

One of these odds is likely to be proven wrong, either on the Nets end or the Celtics end.

Savvy NBA betting fans who have an idea of how they’d like to approach a wager like this could take the Celtics’ Eastern Conference winner odds, as they’re favored over the Nets, who have shorter odds to win the East.

Maxwell Sanders

Maxwell joined the USAOnlineSportsbooks team in 2019. He focuses on creating sports betting content that informs and educates. He focuses on the NBA, the NFL, College Football and Basketball, and whatever else comes across his desk.