Oddsmakers at the Westgate SuperBook released win totals for the upcoming NBA season and the Milwaukee Bucks have the highest number at 49.5 wins, while the defending champion LA Lakers are right behind with 46.5 wins, along with the Boston Celtics.
The next NBA regular season will only consist of 72 games, 10 games shy of a typical 82-game season. In order for this NBA wins total prop bet to become official, teams must play between 69 and 72 games for action.
| 2020-21 NBA WIN TOTALS |
- Milwaukee Bucks 49.5
- LA Lakers 46.5
- Boston Celtics 46.5
- LA Clippers 45.5
- Miami Heat 44.5
- Brooklyn Nets 43.5
- Denver Nuggets 43.5
- Golden State Warriors 43.5
- Philadelphia 76ers 43.5
- Toronto Raptors 43.5
- Dallas Mavericks 42.5
- Houston Rockets 41.5
- Utah Jazz 40.5
- Indiana Pacers 39.5
- Portland Trailblazers 37.5
- New Orleans Pelicans 36.5
Games forfeit for a COVID-19 outbreak or for other reasons will be deemed as a non-played game, according to the Westgate SuperBook.
Juicy Win Totals: NBA Title Contenders
The Milwaukee Bucks led the NBA in wins over the past two seasons, including a 60-22 record in 2018-19 and a 56-17 record in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign. The Greek Freak and the Bucks look like the team to beat once again. How many teams will win 50-plus games in the 72-game season? The Bucks are projected to finish right around that total, or a 50-22 record, with a 49.5 wins total.
The defending champion LA Lakers are the top team in the Western Conference in terms of win totals. The SuperBook pegged LeBron and the Lakers at 46.5 wins.
The Boston Celtics lost in the Eastern Conference Finals, but have several draft picks to help bolster their roster. The Celtics are the second-highest team from the east with 46.5 projected wins — the same total as the Lakers,.
Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat could have had a shot at the championship if they didn’t suffer key injuries to two starters. The Heat will only get better, which is why they’re also somewhat high up on the NBA wins total list at 44.5.
The never-say-die Denver Nuggets had a remarkable run in the NBA Bubble, but ran out of gas in the Finals. The Nugs offer great value at 43.5 wins, and they should regain their home-court advantage when they return to Denver this season (versus at sea level in Orlando, which negated their Rocky Mountains edge).
The Splash Brothers will return to the lineup after Steph Curry and Klay Thompson missed almost all of last season with injuries. The Warriors winning more than 43.5 games next season is a popular pick.
NBA Win Totals: New Coaches
The NBA coaching carousel continued in the offseason. Doc Rivers departed the LA Clippers and headed east to coach the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers had one of the best home records in the NBA last season, yet they couldn’t win on the road. You might want to hold off and wait to see what they do with their roster before you fire away at the Sixers’ 43.5 wins over/under.
With Doc out as head coach of LA Clippers, assistant coach Ty Lue takes over. Lue won a title with the Cleveland Cavs a few years back, but he won’t be able to rely on LeBron James to bail him out when things go south. If Lue can’t patch up the rift between Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the team due to his load management and prima donna status, then consider betting under 45.5 wins.
The Brooklyn Nets are a popular pick to win the NBA Championship, even though Kevin Durant has yet to play a game with the team. The Nets hired Steve Nash as head coach. He lacks experience but, in turn, hired his former coach Mike D’Antoni as an assistant. Since everyone jumped on the Nets’ bandwagon, consider a contrarian spin on Brooklyn’s future of finishing with fewer than 43.5 wins.
Stan Van Gundy became the new head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, and he’ll have the honor of trying to help elevate Zion Williamson to the next level. Oddsmakers project the Pelicans to hover around .500 this season with 36.5 wins.
Ja and Griz Best of the Rest
The NBA has become a battle of the haves vs. have-nots. The upper-class teams have multiple All-Star caliber players, while the lower-class teams usually just have one star and several up-and-coming players.
Devin Booker flew under the radar for most of his pro career. He made headlines in the tabloids before the NBA Bubble began when he was spotted by paparazzi in Los Angeles hanging out with Kendall Jenner. Booker’s Suns have a win total at 34.5, which indicates that bookies think the Suns will be better than last year, yet still finish with a losing record.
Ja Morant, last season’s Rookie of the Year, and the Memphis Grizzlies are worthy of a flier at going over 31.5 wins. Don’t sleep on Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks either. They’re finally ready to take flight after several struggling seasons.
| MORE NBA WIN TOTALS |
- Phoenix Suns 34.5
- Oklahoma City Thunder 32.5
- Orlando Magic 32.5
- Memphis Grizzlies 31.5
- Atlanta Hawks 31.5
- Washington Wizards 30.5
- Sacramento Kings 28.5
- San Antonio Spurs 28.5
- Chicago Bulls 29.5
- Minnesota Timberwolves 27.5
- Detroit Pistons 24.5
- Charlotte Hornets 22.5
- Cleveland Cavs 22.5
- New York Knicks 22.5
A quick glance at the bottom of the list indicates which teams oddsmakers think will suck next season. It’s no surprise to see perennial NBA bottom feeders like the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavs dead last with win totals at 22.5. Even in a 72-game season, those terrible teams are projected to lose 50 games.
