With the 2019-20 NBA regular season set to get underway in just over 24 hours, now is a perfect time to delve into the value-packed win total odds for five teams that looks like they are all strong candidates to play under their respective win total odds this coming season.
Okay NBA betting faithful, let’s get started.
2019-20 NBA Regular Season Odds Underdogs
Denver Nuggets
- 2019 NBA Regular Season Wins Odds: 53
The Nuggets have one of the best big men on the face of the planet in all-star center Nikola Jokic (20.1 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 7.3 apg) and they’ve got one of the league’s best young shooters in Jamal Murray. Denver also has a great, if underrated veteran power forward in Paul Millsap and they added another blossoming frontcourt player in former Thunder forward Jerami Grant.
Still, after winning 54 games last season, I think it’s quite possible that the Nuggets take a slight step backward, if only because of the additional talent in the western conference that saw Kawhi Leonard and Paul George team up with the Clippers while Anthony Davis joined LeBron James and the championship-hopeful Lakers, among other teams that also look like they’ve be more competitive this coming season (Utah, New Orleans). Yeah…I like Denver to finish with approximately 50 wins, but no more than 52 in the loaded west.
Miami Heat
- 2019 NBA Regular Season Wins Odds: 43
The Miami Heat may have acquired one of the league’s best two-way players in veteran swingman Jimmy Butler (18.2 ppg), but this is still a team that looks like they will be hard-pressed to improve on the 39 wins they recorded a year ago.
I like swingman Justice Winslow and veteran point guard Goran Dragic, but big men Kelly Olynyk, Bam Adebayo and Meyers Leonard just aren’t going to cut it against the league’s more elite frontcourt players, not to mention that 19-year-old starting shooting guard Tyler Herro is unproven and veteran two-guard Dion Waiters is starting off the season with a bunch of drama that has him suspended for Miami’s regular season opener. Yeah…I’m not seeing 44 wins for Miami this coming season, so you should bet the Under on the Heat.
Philadelphia 76ers
- 2019 NBA Regular Season Wins Odds: 54.5
The 76ers won 51 games last season and they are definitely going to be a year wiser after coming up just short of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Philly still has an elite all-star in Joel Embiid that may be the best center on the face of the planet. The Sixers also managed to extend talented point guard Ben Simmons while re-signing sweet-shooting forward Tobias Harris.
The 76ers also made one of the biggest surprise additions of the offseason by stealing do-it-all big man Al Horford from the Boston Celtics, but I’m thinking the title-hopeful Sixers are going to be a bit hard-pressed to reach 55 victories for a handful of reasons. Philadelphia lost two huge players in swingman Jimmy Butler and veteran three-point shooter J.J. Redick and I don’t believe their collection of modest role players like
Chicago Bulls
- 2019 NBA Regular Season Wins Odds: 33.5
The Bulls were limited to just 22 wins a year ago, but they drafted a super-talented point guard in former Carolina star Coby White and they added veteran forward Thaddeus Young in free agency. Chicago also has some impressive young talent in second-year forward Wendell Carter Jr. and sweet-shooting big man Lauri Markkanen while high-flying two-guard Zach LaVine and heady small forward Otto Porter are better than average.
Still, the Bulls are quite young and they don’t have nearly the depth that it will take to compete with the best teams in the Eastern Conference. 30 wins looks doable, but I’m not seeing 34 wins this coming season.
Dallas Mavericks
- 2019 NBA Regular Season Wins Odds: 40.5
The Mavs might have one of the league’s brightest young stars in now, second-year forward Luka Doncic (21.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 6.0 apg) and they’ll have sweet-shooting big man Kristaps Porzingis on the floor for the entire season. The Mavs also have some other young talent in point guard Jalen Brunson.
However, I’m not overly impressed with the rest of Dallas’ roster which features a handful of good, but not great players like Tim Hardaway Jr. Dwight Powell and J.J. Barea and I don’t think they’re going to reach .500 this coming season, although I will admit that it’s going to be close.
