The NBA betting community was giving the Boston Celtics last rites at the beginning of November. However, none of the Celtics’ players succumbed to the prevailing negativity. Boston is resuscitated and in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, and Minnesota Timberwolves are making quiet gains as overlooked teams in playoff position.
As gamblers have seen recently, the current league is not your father’s NBA. In this era of parity, the NBA Playoffs have become unpredictable. Thus, teams that may not be at the top of the standings could end up in the NBA Finals.
2025-26 NBA Future Market Update
Celtics Return to Race
At the beginning of the week, the Boston Celtics have an offshore betting record of 14-9 straight up, 13-10 against the spread, and 11-12 under the total. Defense is the backbone of the Boston rebirth. Although the Celtics rank 17th for scoring offense, they rank 3rd for fewest points allowed.
Namely, marquee man Jason Tatum is out for the season with an Achilles injury, forcing Boston to man up on defense for its NBA betting value. Boston has won eight of its last nine games. The Celtics went over the total in four of their last five matchups. Jalen Brown leads the Celtics with 29.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game.
As a result of their recent run, the Celtics are in 4th place in the Eastern Conference playoff race, 4.5 points behind the Detroit Pistons.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla made his name when he took the Celtics to the 2024 NBA championship. Yet his best coaching job could be this year, with a shorthanded team that refuses to die.
Plenty of Magic in Orlando
Since taking over as head coach of the Orlando Magic, Jamahl Mosley has operated in relative obscurity and mediocrity. Mosley produced only one winning season and two playoff berths in his tenure. But to Orlando’s credit, they have been patient with their head coach. And that patience is starting to pay dividends in 2025-26. Orlando has a record of 14 wins and 9 losses straight up, 11 wins and 12 losses against the spread, and 13 wins and 10 losses over the total.
Overall, the Magic are in 5th place in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, 4.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons. Mosley is engineering a good balance, ranking 9th for scoring offense and 9th for fewest points allowed.
First among Orlando scorers is Franz Wagner with 23.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Wagner was the 8th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft out of Michigan by the Magic. He is coming off a career year of 24.2 points per game.
Additionally, Paolo Banchero is averaging 20.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Banchero was Orlando’s first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He was a 2024 NBA All-Star and the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year.
Certainly, Orlando is loaded with young talent, and their patience has proven to be wise. The Magic have plenty of upside for the rest of the season. Since gamblers ignore them, they stand a good chance of retaining their betting value.
Sixers Learn to Succeed Without Embiid
It has long been said that the Philadelphia 76ers are two different teams. There is the powerful Philadelphia team with Joel Embiid in the lineup. When Embiid is out, the 76ers are woefully shorthanded. Thus far, Embiid has played in only eight of their first 22 games of the season, but Philadelphia was 8-6 without their big man in the lineup.
Head coach Nick Nurse won an NBA title with the Toronto Raptors, and the team had its weaknesses. Since taking over two seasons ago, Nurse has had to learn to navigate Embiid’s availability. So far, he is succeeding and has Philadelphia in a playoff position.
Philadelphia is 13-9 straight up and 13-8-1 against the spread. In sum, the Sixers rank 16th for scoring offense and 15th for points allowed. Philadelphia is 6th in the Eastern Conference, five games behind the Pistons. First among Philadelphia scorers is Tyrese Maxey with 31.6 points per game.