Halfway through the season, the Bucks are the best team in the east and arguably in the NBA.

The rest of the conference hasn’t lain down this year, though. A few other teams have made a case for why they shouldn’t be counted out of making this year’s NBA Finals.

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Milwaukee Bucks (2.1 to 1)

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are running roughshod through the rest of the NBA. Their 33-6 record is the best in the league, leading the Lakers who are top of the West with a 30-7 record.

They’re not winning a lot of close games, either. Their average point differential is +11.8, again beating out the Lakers who are at +7.9.

It’s important to note that their six losses have come against playoff teams, as well.

At the heart of their success is the wild season that the Greek Freak is having. He leads the league in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) with 33.6, edging out James Harden and Luka Doncic.

Antetokounmpo (30.2 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG) has become the modern definition of an all-around player. His mix of athleticism, basketball IQ, and determination has been evident in every game that he’s been involved in. His energy and consistency inspire his teammates daily.

Khris Middleton (18.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.8 APG) has thrived as the second-best player on the team, and Eric Bledsoe (14.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.4 APG) has been effective as the third option. The rest of their role players are also finding ways to contribute every game.

He’s also only missed three games so far, and the Bucks won all of those games by double digits. If they continue to play at their current pace, the odds of them winning the Eastern Conference crown may drop further. Now is a great time to take them if you want to bet on the Bucks making the NBA Finals.

Philadelphia 76ers (3.5 to 1)

The odds on the 76ers still put them as the second favorites to make the NBA Finals, but they’ve certainly not played like it so far.

On paper, they have the most devastating starting five in the league:

Joel Embiid (23.4 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.4 BPG)

Ben Simmons (14.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 8.6 APG, 2.2 SPG)

Tobias Harris (19.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.0 APG)

Josh Richardson (15 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.5 APG)

Al Horford (12.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.7 APG)

They haven’t delivered on the hype, though. Philadelphia currently sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 24-14 record, and they’ve already gone of three separate streaks of losing three or more games.

Their notoriously thin bench is an issue, and they certainly miss JJ Redick’s three-point shooting. Some of their losses have been inexplicable blowouts, like a 125-108 loss to the Washington Wizards and a 117-98 drubbing at the hands of a Mavericks team that was missing Luka Doncic.

3.5 to 1 feels generous at the moment. If they keep up with their current state of play, it might be worth waiting a while longer before you bet on the 76ers. The odds might just get better.

Boston Celtics (6.8 to 1)

The Boston Celtics have been looking to put some distance between themselves and the short-lived and moderately disastrous Kyrie Irving era, and they’re doing a pretty good job of it so far.

They currently sit third in the Eastern Conference with a 25-10 record and will be battling for home court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs for the rest of the season.

Kemba Walker (22.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.2 APG), Jayson Tatum (21.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.8 APG) and Jaylen Brown (20.7 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.3 APG) have formed an impressive triumvirate.

Gordon (16.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.2 APG) has contributed decently when he’s been on the court, but his luck with injuries continues to be horrendous. He’s only played in half of the Celtics’ games thanks to a broken hand suffered in November.

Like the 76ers, the Celtics have a few strange losses on their resume so far. They dropped a shocker against the Kings, and they’ve just lost back-to-back games against the Wizards and Spurs.

Brad Stevens is an excellent coach, though, and will continue to manage Boston’s run to the playoffs intelligently.

6.8 to 1 is a decent bet if you like the Celtics to make it out of the east.

Miami Heat (8.8 to 1)

Everyone understands that Jimmy Butler (20.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.6 APG, 2 SPG) is a hyper-competitive guy who is occasionally an asshole to his teammates. That’s why it was confusing to many that he chose South Beach over Philadelphia in the offseason. The 76ers looked like a team that was trending upwards, so why go to a Heat team that didn’t even make the playoffs last season?

The Heat, who have a legendary reputation for demanding hard work from every single player, may have been the perfect place for someone with Jimmy Butler’s mindset after all.

Jimmy Buckets might get the last laugh over all of us doubters, though. Miami currently holds the second seed in the Eastern Conference, and they’re playing an incredibly fun team-oriented style of basketball.

They have seven (!) players averaging double digits in points. That includes rookies Kendrick Nunn (15.4 PPG) and Tyler Herro (13.3 PPG). Bam Adebayo (15.6 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 4.5 APG) has also taken over Hassan Whiteside’s former center position with aplomb.

The highlight of Miami’s team-based style so far was when Butler and Adebayo became the first teammates in Miami Heat history to both have a triple double in the same game.

More importantly, they’ve turned their home arena into an impenetrable fortress. They currently sit with a 17-1 home record. If they continue on their trajectory, they’ll have home court advantage in the first two rounds. That makes their current 8.8 to 1 odds extremely attractive – as these odds will likely drop down in the second half of the season.