In their highly anticipated first matchup of the season, the Boston Celtics prevailed over the Philadelphia 76ers on the road, taking proverbial control of the Eastern Conference in more ways than one.
Boston is now the slight favorite to win the conference at +340 odds — a notable improvement from their +425 the week prior — while Philadelphia is just behind at +350, a shortening from +380 week-over-week. Both teams also improved in the NBA Finals odds and are now tied at +800.
They’re gaining ground on the favored San Antonio Spurs (+300) and Oklahoma City Thunder (+450). Meanwhile, the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers continue to improve, moving to 22-1 from 40-1 since the beginning of the season, while the Golden State Warriors made a big week-over-week jump from 70-1 to 40-1.
The Lakers’ excellent start to the season can be at least partially attributed to the outstanding play of Luka Doncic, who is the favorite to win NBA MVP at +145, a shortening from +200 a week prior. He and Victor Wembanyama (+165) are beginning to pull away from the pack, with two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+800), Jayson Tatum (12-1) and Nikola Jokic (16-1) all lengthening within the last week.
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