Atlantic Division NBA Odds and Predictions 2024-25: Who Will Win the Atlantic Division in NBA 2024-25? (Celtics or Knicks?)

The Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division has the returning NBA champions and two teams that are viable threats in the East, if the breaks go their way. The 76ers and Knicks will be battling for playoff positioning.

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Boston Celtics
2. New York Knicks
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Toronto Raptors
5. Brooklyn Nets

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NBA Atlantic Division 2024-25: Current Odds to Win

*Odds as of September 27th

Boston Celtics (64-18, NBA World Champs)

• Last NBA Championship: 2023-24
• Key Move: Spending big money to retain its rotation pieces as the team begins a long transition to a new owner.
• In A Nutshell: The Celtics dominated the playoffs and have all their key players back and plenty of motivation, too.

Boston Celtics Synopsis

The defending NBA champions are still hungry because it was a tumultuous off-season. Even star forwards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are motivated after Brown was left off the 2024 U.S.

Olympic team and Tatum had a well-chronicled playing time issue with USA Basketball head coach Steve Kerr this summer in Paris. This team may still have some lingering doubters, but it is experienced, talented and contains a core entering its prime. T

he backcourt of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday is one of the league’s best when it matters and many bench players will get valuable minutes as Kristaps Porzingis is expected to sit out at least the first six weeks of the season. The Celtics have also been fortunate to remain injury free for the most part.

• Celtics Atlantic Division Prediction: 61-21. The Celtics have a terrific shot at a repeat title.

New York Knicks (50-32, Eastern Conference Semifinalist)

• Last NBA Championship: 1972-73
• Key Move: Trading four unprotected and one protected first round pick, a 2025 second round pick, along with Bojan Bogdanovic, and two other deep beech players to the Brooklyn Nets for shooting guard Mikal Bridges, who started 82 games and averaged 19.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 3.6 apg. It’s time to win now for this group G.M. Leon Rose put together.
• In A Nutshell: The Big Apple is desperate for its team to win a NBA championship, as it’s been over 50 years now since its last title with only one real close call (in 1994).

New York Knicks Synopsis

By adding Mikal Bridges and with star guard Jalen Brunson signing an extension now, instead of a year from now for $100 million more in order to give the franchise some financial flexibility, it’s clear the Knicks want to win now and have a good shot at competing for the title.

With coach Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks will win plenty of regular season games, but will they have enough in the tank to get past the second round and make a serious run at the NBA finals? It won’t be easy because the interior is unsettled with Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson both coming off oft-injured stretches.

Neither player was available at the end of the season, but both players are needed in order for this team to take the next step.

Without Isaiah Hartenstein (8.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg), who signed an offer-sheet with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Randle and Robinson are just as important as Bridges is when it comes to chemistry. Will that chemistry be there in the end?

• Knicks Atlantic Division Prediction: Prediction: 54-28. A Knick-Celtics Eastern Conference final is a real possibility, but New York won’t get any further.

Philadelphia 76ers (47-35, first round playoffs)

• Last NBA Championship: 1982-83
• Key Move: Signing Andre Drummond to a two-year, $10 million dollar deal. It’s necessary Joel Embiid gets proper breaks and rest for a playoff run and having a bench veteran like Drummond helps.
• In A Nutshell: This team will be better than last season, but will it be better than the opposition when it counts in the second round of the playoffs?

Philadelphia 76ers Synopsis

The 76ers are a more potent offense team than last season and lost in all the hoopla surrounding the addition of veteran all-star Paul George (now in his 14th season) was the addition of Caleb Martin from Miami.

He slots in as a smallish power forward to replace Tobias Harris and has NBA Final experience. Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP,  has plenty of talented pieces around him and veterans in Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowery who can knock down open shots.

Philadelphia has quality shooting, but many of its key pieces are older players. Injury or a lack of chemistry between guard Tyrese Maxey, George and Embiid could spell trouble for a team where eyebrows will be raised if things don’t go as planned.

• 76ers Atlantic Division Prediction: 53-29. A slow start could mean loud grumblings for a roster on the edge.

Toronto Raptors (25-57, Missed Playoffs)

• Last NBA Championship: 2018-19
• Key Move: Adding Davion Mitchell from Sacramento to spell the guards and having a healthy Bruce Brown will be a big plus.
• In A Nutshell: This team has signed a nucleus to build around and wants to win now, but it's in a log-jam in this division and Toronto is a few pieces short.

Toronto Raptors Synopsis

The championship of 2019 now seems like a distant memory and the Raptors have locked in a core nucleus to try to get back on the winning track.

Franchise small forward Scottie Barnes, guard Immanuel Quickly, Toronto native R.J. Barrett and center Jakob Poeltl will be paid a combined $120 million in salary in 2025-26. How will Team President Masai Ujiri improve the roster in order to make this franchise true contenders once again?

Should the quartet stay healthy, Mitchell get back to the form he displayed as a rookie with Sacramento and Brown play like he did in Denver in 2022-23, this team has a shot at one of the final two play-in spots in the Eastern Conference.

• Raptors Atlantic Division Prediction: 30-52. The post-season would be a nice touch for the fan base, but a No. 11-14 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is not motivating at all.

Brooklyn Nets (32-50, Missed Playoffs)

• Last NBA Championship: None
• Key Move: Signing center Nic Claxton to a 4-year, $100 million deal.
• In A Nutshell: When you have to rely on Claxton and players such as Ben Simmons to win, you’re in trouble.

Brooklyn Nets Synopsis

The Nets had to basically give up Dr. J as the price to enter the NBA back in 1976-77 (when they were in New Jersey) and have never really been close to a title, unless you count the Jason Kidd years of 2002-03 when they were outclassed by superior Western Conference foes.

By trading away Mikal Bridges, it signals this franchise is in a full rebuild and hopes supreme effort and pride will help grind out some wins. General Manager Sean Marks will look for a piece such as Dorian Finney-Smith (or even scoring guard Cam Thomas) to produce enough to entice a trade that can benefit the Nets down the line.

This is basically a tank season, and taking a shot at Cooper Flagg means plenty of players will get the opportunity to show they belong on the 2025-26 roster.

• Nets Atlantic Division Prediction: 19-63. Not enough talent (or short-term motivation) to win many more than 20 games.

Up Next: The Central Division