We’re right around the All-Star break for the 2025-26 NBA season, so there’s a good amount of information available on all of the teams in the Eastern Conference. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s clear who will end up on top, but teams are beginning to separate themselves. As of right now, the top-tier squads in the East look to be the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Those are the four teams that currently have top-10 spots when looking at adjusted net rating (aNET) at Dunks & Threes. They’re also four of the top-10 teams when looking at Steve Makinen’s Bettors’ Ratings.
I haven’t yet ruled out the possibility of teams like the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Orlando Magic finding a way into the conversation. On paper, there’s something to love about each of them. However, the top four is the top four right now, and the DraftKings odds (as of 3:30 pm ET on Tuesday, January 27) reflect that. Here’s what the odds look like:
2025-2026 Eastern Conference Odds
New York Knicks (+350)
Boston Celtics (+350)
Detroit Pistons (+380)
Cleveland Cavaliers (+550)
Philadelphia 76ers (12-1)
Orlando Magic (14-1)
Miami Heat (14-1)
Toronto Raptors (25-1)
Atlanta Hawks (28-1)
Milwaukee Bucks (150-1)
Charlotte Hornets (150-1)
Chicago Bulls (200-1)
Washington Wizards (1000-1)
Indiana Pacers (1000-1)
Brooklyn Nets (1000-1)
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see New York at the top of the list. While the Knicks have their faults, they entered the year as one of the popular picks to represent the East in the NBA Finals. They have also had some spurts this season in which they have looked good, with their Emirates NBA Cup title run standing out. They’re also sixth in the NBA in aNET (+3.7), thanks to a third-ranked offense (119.3). That said, their advanced statistics profile still tells a pretty good story.
The real surprise is Boston being tied with New York. The Celtics had a regular-season win total of 41.5, as there wasn’t a lot of hope for Boston with Jayson Tatum recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in the playoffs. However, the Celtics are somehow second in the Eastern Conference standings, thanks to the No. 2 adjusted offensive rating (120.1) in basketball. Jaylen Brown has performed like an All-NBA player, and Boston is now in a situation in which it makes a ton of sense for Tatum to return this year. Originally, many believed the Celtics would be so bad that Brad Stevens and Co. would opt to play things safe. Now, Tatum looks to be on the verge of a return. If he’s even 75% of the player he once was, that’s scary for the rest of the teams in the East.
I actually lean towards Boston being the team to beat, as I do expect Tatum to look alright in whatever role he plays. And throwing him into the mix to take some minutes from some of their fringe rotation players should make the Celtics a little sharper on both ends of the floor. However, I don’t think they’re worthy of a play at their current odds. Instead, the team I believe is the best betting option on the board is the Cavaliers, which is why I officially have three units on them to win the East at +600 as of today.
The case for Cleveland
Evan Mobley will be out the next 1-3 weeks as he deals with another calf strain, which isn’t ideal now that we’re invested in Cleveland. However, despite having guys in and out of the lineup all year — and playing some wildly inconsistent ball — Kenny Atkinson’s team is only two games out of the No. 2 seed in the East. There’s still a real chance the Cavaliers end up hosting an opening-round playoff series, and that would essentially erase what we saw earlier in the year.
Since January 1, the Cavaliers have looked a lot like the team they were last season. They’re 9-4 with an Efficiency Differential of +4.4 since then, and they’re sixth in the NBA in points per 100 possessions (117.2) and 13th in points allowed per 100 possessions (112.7). Well, as long as Cleveland is performing like a borderline top-five offense and a top-15 defense, it’ll be game on for the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.
At some point, Cleveland is going to get healthy. Max Strus isn’t expected to miss the rest of the year, Sam Merrill just returned from his hand injury, Darius Garland will be reevaluated in a few days, and Mobley will hit the floor after his latest injury. Once those guys are back, the Cavaliers will have a decent chunk of games to reestablish some chemistry. That should be enough for them to compete in a depleted Eastern Conference.
It just wasn’t long ago that Cleveland was the short shot to win this conference, as the team was +220 to win back on October 21. That had the Cavaliers above the Knicks on the oddsboard. Of course, Cleveland rightfully plummeted after a cold start to the year, and some of the reports that were coming out about the Cavaliers were concerning. But now? With this team having righted the ship, are we sure they shouldn’t be right there with the other top teams in the conference? On Christmas Day, we watched a healthy Cleveland team nearly beat New York at Madison Square Garden. The Cavaliers and Pistons have also split wins this season, so I’m not sure I see a major gap between the two.
All of the injuries have also given some of Cleveland’s young pieces a chance to develop. Jaylon Tyson, who didn’t get any burn last year, is the main one. He’s averaging 13.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game on 51.3/46.6/76.4 shooting splits. He’s a good shooter, a solid playmaker, and a guy that can guard multiple spots on the other end of the floor. Throwing him into the playoff rotation might give this year’s team exactly what last year’s team was missing.
The Cavaliers just need to focus on entering the postseason in good health, and a big part of that will be getting Mobley right. But if they do get into the dance with home-court advantage, don’t be surprised if they finally do some damage in the postseason. Donovan Mitchell is still one of the best scorers on the planet, the team still has real size around the basket, and the depth is a little more reliable than it was last season.
