When looking at the online NBA Atlantic betting lines in recent years it wasn’t surprising to see a few of these teams as double-digit underdogs on a nightly basis. That is mainly a reference to the dreadful Philadelphia 76ers who have won a grand total of 37 games (out of 246) from 2013-14 to 2015-16. That’s the definition of futility, but recently other Atlantic Division rivals like New York and Brooklyn have followed Philadelphia into “tank mode.” [+]

That leaves the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors left in this division, and while Boston has a very bright immediate future after a few lean years themselves, this division has been Toronto’s since that same 2013-14 season.

NBA Atlantic Betting Lines

You will see a lot of big numbers when handicapping NBA Atlantic betting lines in the foreseeable future with Philly, New York, and Brooklyn still a long ways away from being competitive. You can check the box below to see upcoming point spread numbers for future games in this division.

Results / FixturesNBA

NBA Atlantic Standings

The Raptors have won three straight Atlantic Division championships entering the 2016-17 season, but Boston will be right on their heels. Check the NBA Atlantic standings below to see which team is leading the way this year.

StandingsNBA

How To Bet On NBA Atlantic Division

Until we see some dramatic changes within the Atlantic Division, this division will likely be a two-horse race in the coming years between Toronto and Boston. The Raptors have had the upper hand lately, but this team's reputation is built on being unable to perform in the postseason and if that continues it's only a matter of time before their core gets a major facelift.

Boston's core is a young one that's loaded with talent and gaining experience each season. Head coach Brad Stevens is widely regarded as one of the best basketball minds in the business right now and he's led this Celtics team to improved records each year. Boston also has stockpiled draft picks for upcoming years thanks to shrewd trades during their lean years and can either turn those picks into more young stars or trade them as commodities for a proven superstar. Either way, Boston's immediate future is very bright.

The other three teams are important to follow as bettors because while they might not be competitive in terms of outright wins, you can still find solid spots throughout the year to grab points when the Knicks, 76ers or Nets are heavy underdogs.

The 15-16 season saw these three teams go a combined 63-183 straight up, but against the spread they finished with a 119-125-2 ATS record. Nearly twice as many wins vs the number than outright victories tells you these teams will have betting value in the future when profitable scheduling, situation, or other scenarios arise.