The Cleveland Cavaliers are a favorite to win the Eastern Conference, according to BetMGM, after acquiring veteran guard James Harden at the NBA trade deadline.
The Cavs sent two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland and a 2026 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for Harden on Feb. 3. The three-time scoring champion spent two-and-a-half seasons in Los Angeles and was an all-star last season, averaging 25.8 points and 8.7 assists through 79 games.
The Cavaliers now boast one of the NBA’s most prolific backcourts in the pairing of Harden and guard Donovan Mitchell. At 33-21, the Cavaliers are 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, and seven games behind the Detroit Pistons for the top seed in the East.
In his first two games with the Cavaliers, Harden has averaged 22.5 points and 7.5 assists.
What are the Cleveland Cavaliers’ betting odds to win the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals?
As of Feb. 10 on BetMGM, the Cavaliers have +340 odds to emerge as the Eastern Conference champions, the same odds as the Pistons and the Knicks. See the odds below:
What are the Cleveland Cavaliers’ betting odds to win the 2026 NBA Finals?
The Cavaliers are tied with the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs with the fourth-best odds to win the NBA Finals at +1400. See the rest below:
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Cleveland Cavaliers’ James Harden trade shifts Eastern Conference odds
Reporting by Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
