Where do Celtics stand in East pecking order? New NBA odds are telling

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On paper, the No. 4-seed Boston Celtics are the worst remaining Eastern Conference team in the NBA playoffs.

In reality, they have a very real shot at "upsetting" the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the second round and even reaching the NBA Finals.

The 2018-19 Celtics indeed have been an enigma this season, sputtering to a 49-33 record despite being preseason favorites to win the conference but jelling nicely in a first-round series sweep of the Indiana Pacers.

How to get a handle on Boston's postseason potential? Vegas is a good place to start, as U.S. sportsbooks released updated odds to reach the NBA Finals for the four remaining East teams with the second round set.

The Bucks are still the favorite at -120, and the No. 2 seed Toronto Raptors are close behind at +180. But the C's have better odds than the No. 3 seed Philadelphia 76ers, who are pegged at +550 compared to Boston at +375.

These odds are a pretty accurate reflection of where the C's stand: Kyrie Irving and Co. have the potential to knock off the Bucks, but still would be underdogs in the East finals against a deep Raptors squad that was favored to win the conference earlier this year.

The Sixers might have the most talent of the bunch, but the Celtics have owned them lately and likely would be favored in that series if Philly snuck past Toronto.

The latest odds to win the NBA Finals from FanDuel Sportsbook offer similar reflection of the East food chain, with the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets still on top:

Golden State Warriors: -160
Houston Rockets: +550
Milwaukee Bucks: +550
Toronto Raptors: +1000
Boston Celtics: +1600
Philadelphia 76ers: +2200

Essentially, the Celtics are a de facto three-seed in Vegas behind Milwaukee and Toronto. We'll start find out Sunday if they can outperform those odds.

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