The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on December 22, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.
With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.
Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.
It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.
We’ll turn today to the Central…
Milwaukee Bucks
- 2019/20 record: 56-17
- Over/under for 2020/21: 51.5 wins (52-20)
- Major offseason moves:
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Bucks poll.
Indiana Pacers
- 2019/20 record: 45-28
- Over/under for 2020/21: 39.5 wins (40-32)
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Kelan Martin, Jalen Lecque
- Lost: T.J. Leaf, Alize Johnson
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pacers poll.
Chicago Bulls
- 2019/20 record: 22-43
- Over/under for 2020/21: 29.5 wins (30-42)
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Patrick Williams, Garrett Temple
- Lost: Kris Dunn, Shaquille Harrison
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Bulls poll.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2019/20 record: 19-46
- Over/under for 2020/21: 23.5 wins (24-48)
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Isaac Okoro, JaVale McGee, Damyean Dotson
- Lost: Tristan Thompson, Jordan Bell, Alfonzo McKinnie, Ante Zizic
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Cavaliers poll.
Detroit Pistons
- 2019/20 record: 20-46
- Over/under for 2020/21: 22.5 wins (23-49)
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Jerami Grant, Delon Wright, Mason Plumlee, Josh Jackson, Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey, Jahlil Okafor, Wayne Ellington, Dzanan Musa, Deividas Sirvydis, Rodney McGruder
- Lost: Christian Wood, Luke Kennard, Langston Galloway, Bruce Brown, Khyri Thomas, Brandon Knight, John Henson, Tony Snell, Thon Maker, Jordan McRae, Justin Patton
Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pistons poll.
Previous voting results:
- Boston Celtics (45.5 wins): Over (66.3%)
- Brooklyn Nets (45.5 wins): Over (58.6%)
- Philadelphia 76ers (44.5 wins): Over (57.4%)
- Toronto Raptors (42.5 wins): Over (54.7%)
- New York Knicks (22.5 wins): Under (59.5%)
- Denver Nuggets (44.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
- Utah Jazz (42.5 wins): Over (59.9%)
- Portland Trail Blazers (41.5 wins): Over (70.1%)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (29.5 wins): Under (50.3%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (22.5 wins): Under (64.4%)
People sleeping on cavs
Sure, they could win 24 or 25 games. I wouldn’t bet on it though.
I’ll set my snooze alarm ….
Cavs will move Drummond and Love by TD. They better, it’s time to move on. 2021 draft is deep. This is the year to look to the future.
Snooze indeed… K.Al has been saying that about Love for years, and harden(m just repeated the Bovada line.
CLE well over. This is NOT a tough division, with the rest under. MIL has to integrate guards, IND is putting a lot of weight on a new coach, CHI is not good, DET is young but smart to keep their two veterans. I probably should say they’re over, they only need 23.
I have Bulls 32 wins and Wolves 22 wins
Because Bulls play the teams such as Knicks Cavs Hornets Pistons
Wolves play the teams like Suns Pelicans Grizzlies Kings
Wolves have just offensive talents and 3 point shooters
Haha, so far all of the good teams the majority voted “over” and all the bad teams the majority voted “under”.
This is why Vegas always wins. It doesn’t work that way.
You’re absolutely right. But I guarantee when the SW division comes up the vast majority here will vote under for the Rockets, no matter how low their projected win total is.
Rockets are probably the hardest team to guess when it comes to over/under in the league. Not just because of Harden but Wall and Cousins have both looked a lot better than I imagined they would.
MIL & IND will be over.
CHI, CLE & DET will be under.