If you had asked any NBA fan near the start of the season who they believed would win the Central Division, you'd more than likely hear them tell you the Milwaukee Bucks would be shoe-ins. Halfway through the season and one first-year head coach firing later, they might not have the same grip on the division we initially expected them to have.

The Bucks still lead the division, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are hot on their heels and trail them by a game and a half. The Indiana Pacers endured a stretch without their key star for the past few weeks and aren't technically out of the race, either. Can the Bucks hold strong down the stretch to claim their seventh-straight Central Division title?

NBA Central Division Winner Betting Odds

The 32-16 Bucks still have the best FanDuel Sportsbook odds (-250) to win the division, but the 29-16 Cavs (+230) aren't far behind. The Pacers' +1300 odds reflect how difficult -- but possible -- their path to a potential title could be while the Chicago Bulls' +4600 odds drive home how much of a longshot they are.

Not pictured here: the Detroit Pistons. At 6-41 (worst in the NBA) the Pistons are out of contention for a Central Division title. We won't be covering them here today, but we're all hoping better days are ahead for Detroit.

Now that we have a better grasp on the state of the division and how the markets like each teams' odds of earning a title, let's take a closer look at each of the real contenders to see if any of these teams' odds stand out as interesting bets.

Milwaukee Bucks (-250)

Even as they lead the Central Division, it feels fair to say things aren't going quite to plan for the Bucks this season -- especially after their splashy offseason trade for former Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard to pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Their scoring output has lived up to expectation; they rank third-best league-wide, according to numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics on offense. However, for all of their gains on offense, they seem to be lacking on defense.

They've needed to be as elite as they are on offense to overcome their 18th-ranked defense, which has allowed the seventh-most points per game (119.9) on the year. By parting ways mid-season with first-year head coach Adrian Griffin and hiring Doc Rivers as his replacement, it's clear the team's brass believes their defensive issues could be course-corrected by a change in leadership.

It's too soon to tell how the move will work out for them, but in the meantime the Bucks have lost 3 of their last 4 games -- including a critical game against the Cavaliers. They still have a slight edge in the standings over the Cavs, but they'll need to turn things around to maintain their grasp on that position. Fortunately for them, the upcoming All-Star Break is just around the corner and should provide ample time for a much-needed regrouping. They're 8-8 in the new year and could certainly use it.

Cleveland Cavaliers (+230)

While the Bucks have floundered to a .500-record in the 2024 part of the season, the Cavs have surged to a strong 11-2 record since January 1st. They're gelling together at exactly the right time and are putting the pressure on the division's top team.

The Cavs started the season out slowly, dropping 4 of their first 6 games while stud center Jarrett Allen dealt with an injury. Since his return, though, they've only dropped 12 games. They've even managed to sustain their high-end play despite injuries to other starters like Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, suggesting they're a team with the depth to make a strong run over the second half of the season.

numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics consider the Cavs to be the NBA's seventh-best team this year -- one spot higher than the Bucks. Considering the injuries they've played through -- especially compared to the relative health of the Bucks' starters -- there's a real case to be made that they're the best overall team in the division.

The Cavs could benefit from having an easier remaining schedule than their division rivals. According to Tankathon's remaining strength of schedule metrics, the Bucks have the fifth-most difficult remaining schedule this season. The Cavs' schedule, on the other hand, is tied for the fifth-easiest. The disparity between these teams' remaining schedules could help the Cavs overtake the Bucks, making their +230 odds to win the Central Division an interesting bet.

Indiana Pacers (+1300)

The Pacers have put together an exciting and impressive 2023-24 season, but it just might not be their year. They looked like a serious contender for the division earlier in the year but have been dealing with a significant injury to star Tyrese Haliburton in recent weeks. They've still mustered a solid 7-6 record in games without their go-to point guard, but in a division as competitive as the Central, those six losses could be costly. They'll need him to get right quick if they still have their hopes set on a division title.

The team is clearly pushing some chips in for this season and could make waves in the playoffs even if they fall short of first place in the division; we already saw them rise to the occasion during the league's inaugural In-Season Tournament, finishing in second place. They recently acquired stud forward Pascal Siakam via trade with the Toronto Raptors in an attempt to address their lackluster (26th-ranked) defensive production.

We haven't seen Siakam synch up with Haliburton much since joining the team, but there could be early signs that he's helping to shore up their defense. They've allowed 2.8 fewer points per game compared to their season average since he joined the squad. We're not talking about a huge sample size, but it could be a sign of better things to come.

Past the optimism, though, a Pacers division title would require a lot of things breaking the team's way. In addition to needing Haliburton to return to full strength as soon as possible and needing their defense to turn things around, they'd also need for both the Bucks and the Cavaliers -- two of the better teams in the league -- to fall off. The Pacers are five games back from the Bucks, so they have a lot of ground to cover over their remaining 34 games.

Chicago Bulls (+4600)

At 23-26, the Bulls aren't exactly out of contention for the Central Division, but their odds of claiming a title are far worse than those of their rivals.

Like Indiana, Chicago would need for both the Bucks and the Cavaliers to collapse in the second half of the year. They would then need for the Pacers to take their feet off the gas, as well. And, finally, the Bulls would need to turn into a better team than their 23-26 record suggests. numberFire's metrics rank them as the 22nd-best team in the league, so they have a lot of room for improvement.

That doesn't even include that it seems like they'll be sellers at the upcoming NBA trade deadline. The Bulls have already appeared to make it known that stud guard Zach LaVine is available for the right trade package, and older players like Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan could draw some attention from teams pushing for a chip this season.

In other words, the Bulls' chances of winning the division could look a lot worse by next week's February 8th trade deadline, making them a tough team to bet even at +4600 odds.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.