2024-25 NBA Central Division Odds and Predictions

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The Central Division has belonged to the Milwaukee Bucks for a while now. When you have a player as dominant as Giannis Antetokounmpo, you tend to take something like winning your division for granted.

Unfortunately, betting on the Bucks to win the division in 2024-25 was a mistake. Milwaukee has had health and chemistry issues all year, and they got off to a horrendous start. At the same time, the rival Cleveland Cavaliers got off to the hottest start in the NBA.

Cleveland really never cooled off, either. They’ve certainly lost some games, but at the All-Star break they have a nasty 44-10 record. It’s unlikely anyone will catch them for the best record in the Eastern Conference, let alone their division.

However, the Cavs have legit NBA championship hopes, so taking their foot off the gas to prepare for the playoffs isn’t out of the question. Could that leave the door open for another team in their division to rise up and steal first place?

The top sports betting sites say no, but it’s worth pondering. Let’s take a look at the latest Central Division odds and come to a prediction.

2024-25 NBA Central Division Odds

Check out the latest NBA odds for the Central Division:

This race appears to be over. The top NBA sportsbooks are pricing it as such, anyways. Then again, they also think the Boston Celtics are locks to win the Atlantic Division even though they’re only in first place by 2.5 games.

The situation in the Central Division is a bit different, of course. Cleveland has dominated here, going 9-1 inside the division and they have 14 more wins than the next closest team. It’d take a rash of injuries and a losing skid to allow anyone else to get their foot in the door.

That said, the Bucks could be getting NBA MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo back from injury soon, and they’d been playing better of late prior to his ailment. If they can hit the ground running, they’d have a solid shot at finishing second in the Central Division.

Oddly enough, they aren’t alone. The Detroit Pistons have just as many wins as the Bucks, while the Indiana Pacers are ahead of both teams by one game. None of these teams individually stand out as a threat to the Cavs, but could one get hot while Cleveland falters? It’s not impossible.

For a better idea of how these teams stack up, let’s break them all down en route to a Central Division winner prediction.

NBA Central Division Teams

Let’s take a closer look at the following NBA Teams competing in the Central Division: 

Cleveland Cavaliers (-100000)

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a lock to finish first in the Central Division. Sorry to stop the analysis so short, but it would take an astronomical collapse for them to fail at this point. Hence, the absurd -100000 odds to win the division.

Cleveland flexed their division-winning upside right out of the gates when the regular season started, racing out to a ridiculous 15-0 record. That wasn’t the best opening run to start a season, but it still ranks among the league’s better winning streaks.

The Cavs used that to keep themselves in first place for much of the year, while they’ve suffered consecutive defeats just twice all season. Suffice to say, this is a deep and dominant squad that is extremely unlikely to falter.

Even if the Cavs were to stumble, it’d have to be an epic free fall. That, and the teams below them would need to be insanely hot to close out the regular season. Barring injury, Cleveland’s #1 ranked offense and 8th ranked defense should cement them as division champs when it’s all said and done.

Milwaukee Bucks (+1000)

While the Cavs look to have the Central Division wrapped up, bettors are always going to keep an eye out for value. If Cleveland does run into some unforeseen issues, it’s not impossible to imagine a team like the Milwaukee Bucks pouncing and taking advantage.

Milwaukee got off to a brutal 2-8 start, but they’ve been more than respectable ever since, going 27-16 in the process. Some of that has been without Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.8 points per game), a good amount has been without Khris Middleton, and lately it’s been done with a trade shaking things up.

Despite the chaotic season, the Bucks are 12th in defensive efficiency, 12th in scoring, and 2nd in three-point shooting. It remains unclear what the arrival of Kyle Kuzma means for this team, but he shouldn’t hurt their shooting numbers, and he seems to think Milwaukee could end up having the best defense in all of basketball.

That’s a bit of a reach, but the Bucks have proven over the last few months that they are far from a bad team. If they continue their rise and the Cavs somehow struggle, they’re an interesting challenger at their +1000 price tag.

Indiana Pacers (+25000)

Ditto for the Indiana Pacers, who are actually one game ahead of the Bucks. They’re not as formidable defensively, but the Pacers are top 10 in offense and are arguably a bit more cohesive than Milwaukee.

Indy edged out their rivals last year – both during the regular season and in the NBA playoffs – so it wouldn’t be that shocking if they did it again down the stretch here. If we think for a second that the Bucks could have a shot at overtaking Cleveland, then we shouldn’t ignore Indiana’s potential.

Tyrese Haliburton has had an up and down season, but he continues to flash elite upside, and he’s not alone thanks to the likes of Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner. Indiana has been in good form, too, as they’re 6-4 over their last 10 games.

The Pacers are fast-paced, hyper-efficient, and explosive from long range. If they can tighten up their defense, keep the Bucks at bay, and cross their fingers that Cleveland trips up, their +25000 price tag just might be a dream come true.

Detroit Pistons (+100000)

When considering a Cavs implosion, the first two teams that come to mind as possibilities to leapfrog them are easily Indiana and Milwaukee. After all, they were actually in the playoffs a year ago.

The Detroit Pistons can’t say the same, but they’ve made a significant leap in 2024-25, namely with superstar point guard Cade Cunningham (25.5 points and 9.4 assists per game) launching his game to an MVP level.

Detroit has had growing pains, which can be attributed to a brutal injury to Jaden Ivey and a lack of general talent, but Cunningham has been one heck of a band-aid, and this offense has been slightly above average in key categories. Even more impressive is the Pistons’ defense, which has been tough down low and ranks 10th in overall defensive efficiency.

It’s tough to trust Detroit, I know. If the Cavs are going to plummet, is this really the Central Division contender we should be turning to? It might feel wrong, but they have just as many wins as the Bucks, have won their last four, and are 6-4 over their last 10.

Of course, the Pistons lack serious depth, their offense comes and goes, and they’re a shaky 4-9 inside the division. They’re not completely out of it just yet, but they are understandably less likely to make the magic happen when compared to Indy and Milwaukee.

Chicago Bulls (+100000)

If the Bucks, Pacers, and Pistons are slowly dying in the Central Division, then the Chicago Bulls are officially without a pulse. Unlike the other three so-so contenders in the division, Chicago is far below .500 and already sent some key pieces packing.

They let DeMar DeRozan go last year, and recently they traded away franchise cornerstone Zach LaVine to Sacramento. The team then inserted rookie Matas Buzelis into the starting lineup, firmly leaning into a rebuild that will only continue into the off-season.

Chicago fans can still feel good about the Bulls’ direction to a certain degree. Josh Giddey, Coby White, and the aforementioned Buzelis are a solid core to start with, after all. However, the Bulls are naturally going to get worse before they get better, and the decline officially begins this year.

The Bulls are a middling 22-33, riding a four-game skid and starting down the barrel of a last place finish.

NBA Central Division Predictions

Ready to finalize your NBA picks for the Central Division? It really is as easy as assuming the Cavs will hold onto the top spot.

Cleveland has done nothing to suggest they will falter, they’re loaded with star talent, and they even got better prior to the trade deadline. The Cavs are now well rested after the break, too, so there’s nothing keeping them from finishing the regular season strong.

On top of winning the division, Cleveland has a shot at the best record in the NBA – something they won’t take lightly. Plus the #1 overall seed could come in handy if and when they reach the NBA Finals.

If I had to pick an upset, I’d side with the Bucks. They still have the best player in this division, and when they’re at their best, Milwaukee defends well and can put up a bunch of points. Health has been their downfall, while it remains to be seen what landing big man Kyle Kuzma will do for them.

That said, despite the disgusting odds, the Cavs are the only team to bet on here. They have a huge 13.5 game lead and I don’t see them relinquishing it.

Bet: Cleveland Caveliers -100000

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