The 77th season of the NBA is coming to an end, and it’s a big deal for basketball fans around the world and the betting market. When the season started in 2022 the Milwaukee Bucks were the favourite.
This was backed by many, including Undisputed hosts Bayless and Shannon. They predicted the finals would happen between the Bucks and the Golden State Warriors. One of the main reasons behind the Bucks having a solid performance would be Giannis Antetokounmpo, currently one of the top players in the league.
However visionary they may have been, the Celtics were the preseason favourites and they didn’t disappoint. They’re still one of the favourite teams even now that they’re joined by the Bucks as the favourites.
Some Controversies Arise
Even though the Celtics are well-positioned to win the NBA Championship, it doesn’t mean there aren’t issues surrounding the team. One recent example happened on March 15th, with a controversial win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In this game, Grant Williams stole a tip that led to free throws for the team. What happened was that Smart missed a 3-point shot 10 seconds before the game’s end, with Williams managing to get the ball on a rebound.
All this led to a sequence of events with Tatum collecting the loose ball and making two free throws, all of this with just one-second remaining. This cemented the Celtic’s victory over the Wolves and the ejection of Edwards and Anderson as they were escorted by the Wolves’ security.
The Betting Market Agrees
Since the end of the season is only weeks ahead of the time of this writing, sportsbooks are on fire. This is especially true because no teams have been officially eliminated yet.
In fact, betting on the NBA during these times is so massive that even top online casinos in Ireland with sportsbooks get a lot of wagering related to this league. The same is true in different parts of the world, with more or less similar odds.
Even though the Milwaukee Bucks are ahead of the game, the Celtics are still a favourite, even though the odds have taken a hit since the last 21 days up to today (March 17th).
Taking into consideration some of the most important online sportsbooks, the odds have diminished by 2.53% since then. While this doesn’t look like a lot, the Milwaukee team has increased its odds by 7.45% instead, which is substantial.
One of the Best Defences
A popular saying is that defence wins championships and this is something the Boston Celtics excel at. In fact, Jaylen Brown was asked about what led to Boston’s win against the Timberwolves, and he replied “I think defensively tonight we won the game”.
He went on to comment that the strategy against the Wolves consisted in keeping them from reaching 100 points. It’s a proven fact that the Celtics excel at containing opponent players and this strategy seems to pay them off pretty well.
This is well-known in the sports and Smart, Brown, Tatum, Horford and Williams each received a First Team All-Defensive vote, with Smart winning an award in 2022.
A Mixture of Experienced and New Players
The Celtics have a good mix of veteran and young players, which strikes the perfect balance for the team. Holford was reacquired by the Celtics and is one of the leaders when it comes to setting the tone on the court.
The younger players like Tatum and Brown were also critical in the Celtic’s successes throughout the season. In fact, Tatum became the first Celtics rookie to score 28 points in a playoff game after Larry Bird in 1980. He was also the youngest player ever to score 21 points in four consecutive playoff games.
The Celtics Are Still on the Table
Even though they’ve been recently surpassed by the Bucks, there are several reasons why this team is still one of the favourites and a worthy candidate to win the championship.
Some of the reasons are technical, such as their defensive skills, perimeter depth and incredible 3-point shooting focus. But another major reason is that Robert Williams III seems to have recovered from his knee problems.
The Celtics centre is expected to return imminently, and this is good news for the team. With Williams on the court, Boston has outscored its opponents throughout the season. His skills as a vertical spacer and offensive rebounder are unique to the team.
With all this said, there’s still some time before the season ends, and it’s shaping up to be as interesting as it can be.
Are the Celtics Still the Favourites for the NBA Championship?
The 77th season of the NBA is coming to an end, and it’s a big deal for basketball fans around the world and the betting market. When the season started in 2022 the Milwaukee Bucks were the favourite.
This was backed by many, including Undisputed hosts Bayless and Shannon. They predicted the finals would happen between the Bucks and the Golden State Warriors. One of the main reasons behind the Bucks having a solid performance would be Giannis Antetokounmpo, currently one of the top players in the league.
However visionary they may have been, the Celtics were the preseason favourites and they didn’t disappoint. They’re still one of the favourite teams even now that they’re joined by the Bucks as the favourites.
Some Controversies Arise
Even though the Celtics are well-positioned to win the NBA Championship, it doesn’t mean there aren’t issues surrounding the team. One recent example happened on March 15th, with a controversial win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In this game, Grant Williams stole a tip that led to free throws for the team. What happened was that Smart missed a 3-point shot 10 seconds before the game’s end, with Williams managing to get the ball on a rebound.
All this led to a sequence of events with Tatum collecting the loose ball and making two free throws, all of this with just one-second remaining. This cemented the Celtic’s victory over the Wolves and the ejection of Edwards and Anderson as they were escorted by the Wolves’ security.
The Betting Market Agrees
Since the end of the season is only weeks ahead of the time of this writing, sportsbooks are on fire. This is especially true because no teams have been officially eliminated yet.
In fact, betting on the NBA during these times is so massive that even top online casinos in Ireland with sportsbooks get a lot of wagering related to this league. The same is true in different parts of the world, with more or less similar odds.
Even though the Milwaukee Bucks are ahead of the game, the Celtics are still a favourite, even though the odds have taken a hit since the last 21 days up to today (March 17th).
Taking into consideration some of the most important online sportsbooks, the odds have diminished by 2.53% since then. While this doesn’t look like a lot, the Milwaukee team has increased its odds by 7.45% instead, which is substantial.
One of the Best Defences
A popular saying is that defence wins championships and this is something the Boston Celtics excel at. In fact, Jaylen Brown was asked about what led to Boston’s win against the Timberwolves, and he replied “I think defensively tonight we won the game”.
He went on to comment that the strategy against the Wolves consisted in keeping them from reaching 100 points. It’s a proven fact that the Celtics excel at containing opponent players and this strategy seems to pay them off pretty well.
This is well-known in the sports and Smart, Brown, Tatum, Horford and Williams each received a First Team All-Defensive vote, with Smart winning an award in 2022.
A Mixture of Experienced and New Players
The Celtics have a good mix of veteran and young players, which strikes the perfect balance for the team. Holford was reacquired by the Celtics and is one of the leaders when it comes to setting the tone on the court.
The younger players like Tatum and Brown were also critical in the Celtic’s successes throughout the season. In fact, Tatum became the first Celtics rookie to score 28 points in a playoff game after Larry Bird in 1980. He was also the youngest player ever to score 21 points in four consecutive playoff games.
The Celtics Are Still on the Table
Even though they’ve been recently surpassed by the Bucks, there are several reasons why this team is still one of the favourites and a worthy candidate to win the championship.
Some of the reasons are technical, such as their defensive skills, perimeter depth and incredible 3-point shooting focus. But another major reason is that Robert Williams III seems to have recovered from his knee problems.
The Celtics centre is expected to return imminently, and this is good news for the team. With Williams on the court, Boston has outscored its opponents throughout the season. His skills as a vertical spacer and offensive rebounder are unique to the team.
With all this said, there’s still some time before the season ends, and it’s shaping up to be as interesting as it can be.
