The NBA offseason has been the real-life equivalent of that Michael Jackson eating popcorn in the movies GIF. The Western Conference somehow got even stronger with the addition of a guy named LeBron to the Lakers, Boogie Cousins to Golden State, and four of the top five draft picks. The East is Brad Steven’s led-Boston’s to lose with the return of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward and a sophomore season that promises to be a special one for 20-year-old Jayson Tatum.
Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors may have something to say about that if Kawhi ever spoke.Sprinkle in a little superfluous drama–ie Tristan Thompson and Draymond keeping their petty beef alive with a club kerfuffle and DeMar DeRozan needing surgery to remove the knife from his back inserted by a team that promised not to trade him–and this upcoming NBA season is destined to be great.
Westgate LV SuperBook recently released its updated 2018-2019 win totals from all 30 NBA teams, with all the offseason activity considered. SuperBook Manager Jeff Sherman posted the odds to Twitter, and I have added the win/loss differential from last year in parenthesis next to it.
Atlanta Hawks: 23.5 (+0.5)
Boston Celtics: 57.5 (+2.5)
Brooklyn Nets: 32.5 (+4.5)
Charlotte Hornets: 35.5 (-0.5)
Chicago Bulls: 27.5 (+0.5)
Cleveland Cavaliers: 30.5 (-19.5)
Dallas Mavericks: 34.5 (+9.5)
Denver Nuggets: 47.5 (+1.5)
Detroit Pistons: 37.5 (+1.5)
Golden State Warrior: 62.5 (+4.5)
Houston Rockets: 54.5 (-8.5)
Indiana Pacers 47.5 (-0.5)
Los Angeles Clippers: 35.5 (+6.5)
Los Angeles Lakers 48.5 (+12.5)
Memphis Grizzlies: 34.5 (+12.5)
Miami Heat: 41.5 (-2.5)
Milwaukee Bucks: 46.5 (+2.5)
Minnesota Timberwolves: 44.5 (+2.5)
New Orleans Pelicans: 45.5 (+2.5)
New York Knicks: 29.5 (+0.5)
Oklahoma City Thunder: 50.5 (+2.5)
Orlando Magic: 31.5 (+6.5)
Philadelphia 76ers: 54.5 (+2.5)
Phoenix Suns: 28.5 (+7.5)
Portland Trail Blazers: 41.5 (-7.5)
Sacramento Kings: 25.5 (+1.5)
San Antonio Spurs: 43.5 (+3.5)
Toronto Raptors: 54.5 (-4.5)
Utah Jazz: 48.5 (+0.5)
Washington Wizards: 44.5 (+1.5)
Not surprisingly, the Warriors are expected to have the most wins next season at 62.5 and the Lakers are expected to win 12.5 more games with the arrival of LeBron James at the expense of Cleveland who will lose 19.5 more games than they won last year, per Westgate odds.
The Big Lead compiled the playoff picture based on the odds from Westgate’s over/under odds. They look like this:
