NBA Future Forecast – Eastern Conference

The Boston Celtics are the reigning champions. The Detroit Pistons are not about to let their heated rival steal the show. Things are getting interesting north of the border, while liberty bells might be ringing in the future. In the Mid-West a King has finally found a knight to help him lay claim to his rightful throne. The dirty south has a flock of new dirty birds soaring towards the top, while a warrior from the west hopes to bring some more magic to the state of Florida. Confused? You know what, I am too. Let’s sort out this mess! Time to check out the NBA Betting forecast for the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics are tight favorites at +110 to win the Eastern Conference. To do this without James Posey, and with nobody taking them lightly this year, would be nothing short of a miracle. But if there’s anything we know about Boston, it’s that they’ve had horseshoes up their ass since the new millennium reared its ugly head.

They’ll be getting more pressure from the Pistons at +300 who are in the market for a superstar. To blow up the nucleus of Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups would be insane. The Pistons’ lines will come down to Earth this year after they went 46-35-1 ATS. They are one season away from becoming too predictable on the court, and that will kill them in the end. The other killer? Age.

Perhaps my favorite team in the Eastern Conference right now is the +2800 Toronto Raptors. They were able to turn T.J. Ford in to an athletic, overpaid big man named Jermaine O’Neal. The thought of a rejuvenated banger like O’Neal with the crispy Bosh in the paint is enough to get my basketball betting juices nice and wet. The Raptors have depth in scoring and a team itching to prove it can win in the playoffs.

Their biggest detriment thus far has been size. Now they have two All-Stars in the frontcourt. Chris Bosh is out to prove he is, indeed, an elite player while O’Neal is out to prove he is still a warrior. A small bet now could turn in to huge rewards if Toronto can peak at the right time. They went 40-42 ATS last season; a number which is bound to improve with the 15-5-5 they can expect from O’Neal.

There’s no need to gloss over Atlanta here. Every single reader I have knows I love the Hawks. Maybe they’re one or two more seasons away, but retaining Josh Smith is a step in the right direction. A +5000 line may be attractive if you think they can win the Eastern Conference but they’re just not there yet.

The team I’m more intrigued by is the riley Orlando Magic. They were raining threes last season, are +700 to win the conference, and have Dwight Howard evolving in to a whole new species of basketball player. The only thing I killed them on was the lack of a slasher. Now they have one and his name is Mickael Pietrus. Averaging 7.2 points per game last season, the reckless scorer will have a chance to shine in Orlando and he’s certainly ready. Why do you think he bolted Golden State so easily?