The 2023/24 NBA season is getting closer with every passing week. The Miami Heat are the reigning Eastern Conference champions. But the best NBA betting sites still don’t regard Erik Spoelstra’s team as the favorites in the NBA futures markets. Here we take a closer look at the main contenders and tell you if the Heat can retain their title in 2024.
With the Denver Nuggets favored to win the NBA Championship again in 2024, we thought it was worth looking at who their biggest challengers are coming from the Eastern Conference.
As good as the Nuggets were last season, we all know it may have been a different story had they been facing the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals. The Nuggets may still have won.
Most seasoned observers would say the Celtics would have made it into more of a contest than it ended up being. But the Celtics fell away in the postseason, and in the end, they couldn’t win the Eastern Conference. And as the saying goes, the rest is history.
So is the Miami Heat the real deal? And are we underestimating Spoelstra’s team, almost disrespecting them? Let’s see what the best NBA finals betting sites think.
The Miami Heat’s run to the 2023 NBA Finals has had a significant impact on the futures market to win the Eastern Conference in 2024. Along with the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, the Heat are now regarded as one of the front runners in the betting to win again in the upcoming season.
But despite their successes last season, along with the shortcomings of the Celtics and the Bucks, the Heat still aren’t the betting favorites in 2023/24.
Again, like most of the previous season, the Boston Celtics lead the way with the best NBA betting sites. The Celtics are +225 to repeat their win of 2022 and claim their 11th Eastern Conference title.
Behind the Celtics are the Milwaukee Bucks at +300. Led by the inspirational Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks did take over from the Celtics as the betting favorites towards the end of the 2022/23 regular season.
The Miami Heat are next in the betting at +450. Then comes the Philadelphia 76ers at +650. After the four leading teams are the Cleveland Cavaliers at +1000, with the New York Knicks priced at +1600.
Full Eastern Conference betting is below on our NBA odds table. The odds we’ve used are from the best NBA betting sites, which you can read more about on our online sportsbook reviews page.
| Betting to Win 2023/24 NBA Eastern Conference |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | +225 | +225 | +225 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Miami Heat | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +650 | +650 | +650 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| New York Knicks | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Toronto Raptors | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 |
| Chicago Bulls | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Orlando Magic | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Indiana Pacers | +8000 | +8000 | +8000 |
| Washington Wizards | +25000 | +25000 | +25000 |
| Charlotte Hornets | +25000 | +25000 | +25000 |
| Detroit Pistons | +25000 | +25000 | +25000 |
Miami was pretty much in the shadow of both the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks for the majority of the 2022/23 season. And even when they made the postseason, just about everybody was waiting for them to collapse.
All those quick to write the Heat off must have short memories. It was only three years ago the Heat won the Eastern Conference, defeating the Boston Celtics over six matches. They fell short in 2021, losing 4-0 to the Bucks in the 1st Round. But in 2022, they made it to the final again, losing to the Celtics in seven.
Heading into the 2023/24 season, and despite not being made favorites, they are almost on an equal footing with the Celtics and the Bucks. And when you look at the recent history of Boston and Milwaukee, it’s easy to see why choosing a betting favorite between the three franchises is so difficult.
But someone has to win. And it’s this high level of competition which makes the Eastern Conference so exciting to follow and wager on.
The betting to win the Eastern Conference last season was first dominated by the Celtics, and then latterly by the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks finished the season strongly, but in a similar fashion to the Celtics, they fell away disappointingly in the postseason.
We expect the betting in 2023/24 to follow a similar pattern with the Celtics and the Bucks dominating. But can the Heat stay with them both this year?
At this stage of the off-season, there are still questions about how the rosters will be filled. And in the case of the Bucks, they have a new coach, Adrian Griffin who has to settle in.
But a massive positive for the Bucks is having Giannis Antetokounmpo on their roster. If they can keep him fit, such is his quality, they are always going to have a chance.
Antetokounmpo is one of those guys who can galvanize and inspire the whole squad. He is a true superstar and leader, and having him drive the side forward will make the Bucks a great bet for the 2023/24 season.
And after the disappointment of getting dumped out of the playoffs in the 1st Round, the Bucks will have a point to prove. And we feel they will make their point, and make the Milwaukee Bucks our pick to win the Eastern Conference.
Check below for our list of the top sportsbooks where you can wager online:
About the Author
Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.
Read Dean's ProfileAsk Dean about this guide:
