2025-26 NBA Playoff Odds: Why Lengthy-Shot Magic Are Greatest Guess to Win East

[ad_1] Virtually per week into the NBA playoffs and a number of other sequence across the league are beginning to warmth up.

The short-handed Lakers have a 2-0 lead, regardless of being massive underdogs in opposition to the Rockets. The closely favored Spurs are tied 1-1 of their sequence in opposition to the Blazers, because the standing of Spurs’ star Victor Wembanyama is in query following a concussion.

These should not the one upsets brewing out West, because the 6-seed Timberwolves have a 2-1 lead as they appear to get rid of the Nuggets for the second time in three years.

However the place I need to focus is the Japanese Convention.

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The 7-seed 76ers received Recreation 2 in opposition to the Celtics as 14-point underdogs to even the sequence at 1-1, however there may be one other potential upset maybe lurking within the East as nicely.

The Magic got here into this season picked by some to make the NBA Finals. Buying and selling 4 first-round picks for guard Desmond Bane final June had many considering the Magic would have the power to play deep into this June.

By means of the 82-game common season, these lofty expectations weren't met, because the Magic floundered to an underwhelming 45-37 file and misplaced their first play-in recreation to the 76ers.

However after thrashing the Hornets to earn the 8-seed, the Magic upset the 1-seed Pistons in Recreation 1 of the playoffs, earlier than dropping Recreation 2. The Magic are at the moment 55-1 to win the East. They're tied 1-1 of their sequence with the Pistons, a 1-8 sequence that doesn’t appear to be a typical 1-8 (see Suns vs. Thunder, for an instance).

Previous to the season, the Magic had an Over/Below season win expectation of 51.5 within the betting market, whereas the Pistons have been round 46.5.

Certain, we have now a full season of video games that present the Pistons to be the superior crew, however now, lower than ever, does the NBA common season appear to resemble the postseason.

The Magic are solely 2.5-point underdogs to the Pistons for Recreation 3 on Saturday, a sign that little or no separates these groups when it comes to expertise. If the Magic have been in a position to get by the Pistons on this sequence, they might then tackle the winner of the Cavaliers-Raptors sequence.

The trail to creating the convention finals for the Magic continues to be an unlikely one. In spite of everything, there’s a motive they’re 55-1. Nevertheless, in the event that they have been in a position to get that far, hedging by betting in opposition to them might guarantee a pleasant revenue if that chance presents itself.

Three years in the past, the Warmth shook off a play-in loss and needed to rally to win their last play-in recreation simply to qualify for the playoffs. That crew pulled off a string of upsets and located itself within the NBA Finals a few months later after underachieving throughout the common season.

At 55-1 odds, it’s value even only a small wager that, three years later, one other crew from Florida can come out of nowhere and make a deep postseason run.