NBA Eastern Conference Odds 2026-27: Knicks +340, Sixers +380

The New York Knicks are +340 to win the East in 2026-27, a hair ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers at +380, per DraftKings prices on ESPN's futures page as of Oct. 2. Boston sits third at +550 and Detroit fourth at +800. Who you call the favorite depends on where you look, because Philadelphia was on top at BetMGM as recently as Sept. 23.

That split is the story of this market. The NBA Eastern Conference odds have already crowned three different favorites at BetMGM since opening, per BetMGM.

NBA Eastern Conference Odds 2026-27: The Full Board

Here is the DraftKings board from ESPN's conference futures page as of Oct. 2, next to BetMGM's current and opening prices from its Sept. 23 update.

| Team | DraftKings via ESPN (Oct. 2) | BetMGM (Sept. 23) | BetMGM open | |-|-|-|-| | Knicks | +340 | +375 | +275 | | 76ers | +380 | +350 | +2000 | | Celtics | +550 | +600 | +240 | | Pistons | +800 | +900 | +850 | | Cavaliers | +900 | +900 | +1300 | | Heat | +950 | +1000 | +650 | | Raptors | +1000 | +900 | +3000 | | Pacers | +1400 | +1600 | +1200 | | Hawks | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 | | Magic | +2800 | +2500 | +2200 | | Hornets | +4500 | +4000 | +2500 | | Wizards | +7500 | +8000 | +6600 |

Bulls and Bucks are +30000 at both books, and Brooklyn is +50000. Implied probability is 100 divided by (odds plus 100), so New York's +340 works out to about 22.7% and Philadelphia's +380 to about 20.8%. Together the top two carry a combined implied probability of roughly 43.6%, with Boston at about 15.4% and Detroit at about 11.1%.

How BetMGM Crowned Three Different Favorites

Per BetMGM, Boston opened as the East favorite at +240, New York took over next, and Philadelphia became the third different favorite after landing LeBron James in free agency. The Sixers' price at BetMGM went from +2000 at open to +350, the biggest implied-probability move on the board. Boston drifted the other way, from +240 to +600.

Other books posted their own numbers. BetRivers had Philadelphia at +350 and FanDuel had the Sixers at +400 to win the conference, per RG.org on Sept. 22. Back on Aug. 26, BetOnline already listed Philadelphia as its East favorite at +325, with Boston at 6/1 and Detroit at 9/1, according to Betting News. So the Knicks lead at DraftKings, but Philadelphia was the shortest price at BetMGM and BetOnline.

The Case For and Against the Top Five

Knicks (+340). New York won the 2026 title, its first since 1973, with Jalen Brunson named Finals MVP, per Betting News. The core stayed together, and the Knicks re-signed Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet. The hole is up front: Mitchell Robinson left for Boston in free agency.

76ers (+380). Philadelphia sent Paul George, two future first-round picks and two second-round picks to Boston for Jaylen Brown on July 1, then signed LeBron James to a two-year deal, per RG.org. Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dean Wade were also added. The risk is health. RG.org notes Joel Embiid has appeared in only about 39% of Sixers games over the past three seasons, and James turns 42 on Dec. 30.

Celtics (+550). Boston turned Brown into George plus draft picks and added Robinson from New York, per Betting News, with Jayson Tatum still the centerpiece. Its BetMGM price has drifted from +240 at open to +600.

Pistons (+800). Detroit was the top seed last season but did not get out of the second round, per the Associated Press. The Pistons added Isaiah Joe from Oklahoma City and John Collins from the Clippers, with Kevin Huerter and Taurean Prince providing shooting and veteran depth around Cade Cunningham, per Betting News. Jalen Duren agreed to a five-year, $200 million contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told the AP on Thursday night (Oct. 1), and our Jalen Duren contract breakdown covers the terms.

Cavaliers (+900). Cleveland is one of four teams, along with New York, Boston and Detroit, that spent time atop BetMGM's East market last year, per BetMGM. Its BetMGM price shortened from +1300 at open to +900.

Betting Impact: Where the Value Might Sit

Shopping matters here. For Philadelphia, the longest current price cited here was +400 at FanDuel on Sept. 22, per RG.org, against +325 at BetOnline in August, per Betting News. The Knicks are +340 at DraftKings but were +375 at BetMGM on Sept. 23.

History says the favorite does not always cash. Per BetMGM's list, of the eight East champions BetMGM lists from 2019 through 2026, four were +800 or longer before the season: the 2020 Heat (+2200), 2022 Celtics (+2000), 2023 Heat (+800) and 2025 Pacers (+2500). The 2026 Knicks won at +250.

That makes the +800 to +1000 tier the most interesting part of the board. Detroit at +800 and Cleveland at +900 are teams that already spent time as last season's East favorite at BetMGM. Toronto, now +1000 at DraftKings, shortened from +3000 at open to +900 at BetMGM, the largest move among teams priced at +800 or longer. For a lower-variance angle, our NBA win totals breakdown covers every team's number, and FanDuel had Philadelphia at -130 to reach 50 wins, per RG.org.

For game-by-game reads, StatSniper's AI sports picks hub and the daily NBA picks page update every slate.

What to Watch Next

ESPN's odds module lists a 76ers vs. Knicks game dated Oct. 20 with New York a 5.5-point favorite (-185 on the moneyline), after opening at 3.5. It also lists Celtics vs. Pistons on Oct. 20 with Detroit favored by 1.5, down from an opening 2.5.

Beyond Oct. 20, watch Embiid's and James' availability, how Boston's frontcourt sorts out with Robinson and whether Detroit's +800 holds once its full roster is in camp. Any of those can flip the favorite again.

FAQ

Who is favored to win the Eastern Conference in 2026-27? It depends on the book. The Knicks are +340 at DraftKings as of Oct. 2, per ESPN, while BetMGM had the 76ers on top at +350 on Sept. 23.

What are the Pistons' odds to win the East? Detroit is +800 at DraftKings as of Oct. 2, per ESPN. At BetMGM, the Pistons opened at +850 and were +900 on Sept. 23.

How much have the 76ers' East odds moved? Per BetMGM, Philadelphia went from +2000 at open to +350 as of Sept. 23, making it the third different East favorite since the market opened.

Do preseason favorites usually win the East? Not always. Per BetMGM, four of the eight East champions it lists from 2019 through 2026 were +800 or longer before the season.

Chad AI tracks futures markets like this one alongside nightly NBA picks inside the Chad app on StatSniper.

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