NBA Regular Season Win Total Wagers

I'll be honest here. This is my first adventure into the world of sports betting. With that being said, do not take my writing as any sort of gambling advice. In fact, I would actively encourage you to bet AGAINST what I say for the simple reason that I know very little and am often incorrect on my predictions.

I'll run down my list of wagers for regular season wins in the NBA. These are all Over/Unders meaning that if the line is 41.5 for the Rockets, I could bet that either the Rockets win 41 or fewer games, or I could bet that the Rockets win 42 or more games. Then there are the odds for each option.The odds determine how much I win if I make the right call. You'll see how it works.

Bet #1: Philadelphia 76ers Wins - Line: 39 - My Pick: OVER - Odds: Even

This is not the 76ers team of old. GM Bryan Colangelo has made it relatively clear that the not-so-subtle tanking 76ers are a thing of the past. The signing of sharpshooter JJ Redick all but ensures this. With the last two number one overall picks set to make their debut on a solid 76ers team, there is a lot of pressure on this young group to perform. Redick adds much needed spacing around Joel Embiid as well as veteran leadership on a team whose top three players are under 24. Add in the fact that the 76ers play in a depleted Eastern Conference and I don't see any reason the 76ers win fewer than 39 games this year. Even without a full season from Embiid, Simmons, and Fultz, this team has enough talent to go over .500 in this conference.

Bet #2: Detroit Pistons Wins - Line: 38.5 - My Pick: UNDER - Odds: -115

The Pistons were many folks choice for surprise playoff team at the start of last year. We all know how well that went. Detroit did little in the way of improving a team that won just 37 games last year outside of adding defensive specialist Avery Bradley. Bradley is a stellar player, but he's at his best as a compliment to other stars, not as a linchpin on a bad team. He can make a good team great, but he's not making this bad Pistons team win 39 games. Detroit is my pick for big time dealers at the trade deadline. This team is going nowhere fast and it's about time Detroit blows things up and tanks. This team lacks the spacing needed to compete in the NBA today and I wouldn't be surprised if Bradley, Andre Drummond, and Reggie Jackson are all gone by the end of the season.

Bet #3: Orlando Magic Wins - Line: 33.5 - My Pick: UNDER - Odds: -115

Speaking of teams with no spacing, this Orlando Magic team lacks even the idea of range. While this is an athletically gifted group with solid young bigs, veterans Jonathon Simmons and Arron Afflalo are not the type to lead a squad to the playoffs. Orlando has no good point guard option as Elfrid Payton and Rodney Purvis are not crunch time guards. I would not be surprised if one of their bigs gets traded mid-season. Between Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac, Bismack Biyombo, and Nikola Vucevic, there aren't enough minutes to really go around. I'm interested to see how the Magic run the floor, but there is no way they make it to 34 wins this year.

Bet #4: Indiana Pacers Wins - Line: 31.5 - My Pick: OVER - Odds: -115

Please do not mistake my "over" pick with me saying that I think Indiana is good. I don't. They lost the best player they have had since Reggie Miller and got in return what basically amounted to a few buttons and some pocket lint. Pacer fans are still scratching their heads on that one. Regardless, this team isn't good, but neither is the rest of the East. The Pacers actually have a decent group of bigs with Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, and Al Jefferson. Turner is the real deal and Sabonis still needs work, but can add some athleticism and space the floor. Darren Collison and Victor Oladipo aren't guards that are going to win you playoff games, but they can certainly put up a fight in the regular season. Most importantly though, the Pacers don't tank. It must be an Indiana basketball pride thing, but the Pacers haven't won fewer than 32 games since 1989. Even when they're bad, they aren't that bad.

Bet #5: Sacramento Kings Wins - Line: 27.5 - My Pick: OVER - Odds: -115

The Kings at 27.5 wins is criminal. I'm not saying this team is good by any means, and being in the West isn't going to help, but this roster isn't awful. I can find at least five other teams with rosters worse than Sacramento. George Hill, Zach Randolph, and Vince Carter add a veteran edge to a team that simply lacked maturity last year. This is a talented young roster with guys like De'Aaron Fox, Willie Caulie-Stein, and Buddy Hield poised to make strides. I don't think that the Kings win too many more than 28 games, but I certainly think this team will be far from the worst team in a brutal Western Conference.

Bet #6: Miami Heat Wins - Line: 43.5 - My Pick: OVER - Odds: -115

The Heat can't be that bad can they? Adding Kelly Olynyk after he was waived by the Celtics to make room for Gordon Hayward adds some much needed length and spacing to the floor. Hassan Whiteside will continue to be one of the most dominant bigs in the Eastern Conference and will likely sniff an All-Star game if he can stay healthy. Add in a solid guard combination of Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters and this team could score a ton of points. Leave it to Pat Riley to somehow create a team that could potentially wrangle home court in the first round of the playoffs. Playing in the East basically gives Miami a guaranteed 44 wins a season.

Bet #7: New York Knicks Wins - Line: 28.5 - My Pick: OVER - Odds: -115

This might be one of the worst defensive rosters in the NBA, but this team will be able to score. I originally made this bet prior to the Carmelo deal, but I think Melo is a prime candidate for the Ewing Theory (for those who don't know, basically it means that a team is better without the Ewing Theory player. Melo in this case.) Porzingas is the real deal and adding Tim Hardaway Jr. should add an athletic guard to compliment Porzingas. By no means do I think that this team will be competing for a playoff spot, but I certainly believe they can sneak their way above 29 wins.

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I hope you enjoyed this post. Tell me down in the comments if you agree and why. I look forward to writing more NBA centric articles so if you are interested, please follow @brandonp to get all of my posts directly to your feed!