As the first round of the Western Conference playoffs continues to unfold, the bracket for the Eastern Conference quarterfinals is set. The Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers all made quick work of their opening-round opponents, and there are clear favorites in the upcoming matchups.

The No. 2 seed Nets have -200 odds to win their series against the No. 3 seed Bucks, who are +160 underdogs at FanDuel Sportsbook. The No. 1 seed 76ers are -192 favorites against the No. 5 seed Hawks. Atlanta is given +154 odds to pull off the upset.

There is a belief among some that the series between Brooklyn and Milwaukee could end up being the best in the 2021 postseason. Loaded with former MVPs, the two teams played three competitive contests in the regular season. The Nets needed just five games to beat the Boston Celtics in the first round. The Bucks swept the Miami Heat.

The odds, however, suggest that Brooklyn might not have much trouble with Milwaukee, or anyone, this postseason. With Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving finally playing consistently together, the Nets have looked like one of the best offenses in league history. Brooklyn scored 128 points per 100 possessions against Boston, putting the team on a historic pace to start the playoffs.

The Nets are odds-on favorites to reach the 2021 NBA Finals. Brooklyn is a significant favorite to win the title. The Bucks have +230 odds to win the East.

Philadelphia finished with a better record than Brooklyn in the regular season. The 76ers entered the postseason with a clear path to the Eastern Conference Finals, though Joel Embiid’s latest injury could make things more difficult.

Embiid missed the first-round series clincher against the Washington Wizards with a small meniscus tear in his right knee. Embiid is considered day-to-day. Game 1 between the 76ers and Hawks is scheduled for Sunday, six days after Embiid suffered the injury.

Atlanta might not have an answer for Embiid, who scored more than a point a minute in four games against Washington.

The Hawks were impressive in defeating the New York Knicks without home-court advantage. Trae Young averaged 29.2 points and 9.8 assists per game in his first playoff series. Clint Capela had 13.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

The 76ers have +500 odds to win the East. The Hawks are +1600 long shots.

Brooklyn Nets Kevin Durant reacts after his shot and no foul was called against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second quarter at Barclays Center in New York
Brooklyn Nets Kevin Durant reacts after his shot and no foul was called against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second quarter at Barclays Center in New York GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / ELSA
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