Miami Heat Open Up With Third-Best Odds To Win Eastern Conference

It’s still early in the offseason, but oddsmakers are already making predictions for the season.

The expectations for the Miami Heat are high once again, with BetOnline.ag giving them the third-best odds (+375) to win the Eastern conference behind the Milwaukee Bucks (+275) and the Boston Celtics (+200.) It should be noted these odds may rise if the Heat acquire Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard.

Thy made the Finals last season on an improbable run but some are calling it lucky based on circumstance. The Heat were the eighth seed with the worst offense in the league. Superstar performances from Jimmy Butler carried them past the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks but a dip in production ended their postseason run with a 2-7 record over their last nine postseason games.

Even for the impressive run, it was clear they needed more to clinch a championship. Lillard would bring high-level scoring and give another star beside Butler. Bam Adebayo could focus on being a top-tier defender, alleviating some of the pressure to have superstar performances.

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Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.