Over/Unders

Poll: Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2017/18 Win Total

When we asked Hoops Rumors readers about a month ago which NBA team had the best offseason, the Timberwolves were the runaway winner, beating out the Celtics and Warriors. That poll came before Boston’s acquisition of Kyrie Irving, so it’s possible that the voting would look a little different today, but the fact remains: Minnesota is viewed as a much-improved club.

The Timberwolves’ acquisition of Jimmy Butler was the key move of the summer, but it wasn’t the team’s only major splash. After landing Butler in a trade, the Wolves used their cap room to bring aboard veterans like Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson, and Jamal Crawford. Those players will join a young group that includes a pair of former No. 1 picks in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.

While the Wolves certainly improved their roster this offseason, the team isn’t stacked with outside shooting, and may be lacking a little depth. Minnesota is also coming off a 31-51 season a year ago, so even getting to .500 would require an extra 10 wins.

Nonetheless, oddsmakers and bettors are bullish on the Wolves’ chances to improve well beyond that .500 mark — offshore betting site Bovada has Minnesota’s over/under for 2017/18 at 48.5 wins. In other words, to reach the over, the Wolves would have to increase their win total by at least 18.

What do you think? Is that too significant a leap to expect in a single season, particularly with so many new faces on the roster? Or is there enough talent on this Timberwolves roster to reasonably expect the club to reach the 49-win mark? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Previous over/under voting results:

Poll: Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2017/18 Win Total

The Thunder slipped in the Western Conference standings last season following the departure of Kevin Durant, but a super-human performance from Russell Westbrook ensured that the drop wasn’t as precipitous as many expected. Westbrook averaged over 15 PPG more than any of his teammates, and his 10.4 assists per game were more than the combined total of Oklahoma City’s next six top passers. Buoyed by Westbrook, the Thunder finished with a 47-35 record.

Heading into 2017/18, Westbrook will have a little more help, with the Thunder having sent Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to Indiana in exchange for Paul George. The club also made one of the more impressive under-the-radar free agent signings of the summer, locking up Patrick Patterson on an inexpensive three-year deal. Oklahoma City capped a solid offseason by re-signing elite defender Andre Roberson and adding Raymond Felton to shore up the point guard position.

Given their impressive roster moves, the Thunder are viewed by oddsmakers as a good candidate to improve this season. Offshore betting site Bovada.lv has placed their over/under at 50.5 wins, which would represent an increase of at least four wins over last year’s total.

While that may seem like a lock with a dynamic two-way player by George now on the roster, there’s no guarantee that Westbrook will continue to provide heroics at the same pace he did a year ago — the reigning MVP single-handedly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the final minutes of games several times, allowing the team to finish a few games ahead of its expected record.

What do you think? Will the Thunder finish over or under 50.5 wins in 2017/18? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Previous over/under voting results:

Poll: Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2017/18 Win Total

After falling to the Warriors in five games in the 2017 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers entered the offseason intent on making major upgrades to their roster. Early rumors focused on players like Paul George and Jimmy Butler, with Kevin Love mentioned frequently as potential trade bait. But Cleveland’s offseason appeared to go off the rails when the team decided that GM David Griffin wouldn’t be retained.

With Griffin and right-hand man Trent Redden no longer in the Cavs’ front office, the team saw George and Butler head elsewhere, and struggled to make impact additions of its own. Jose Calderon, Jeff Green, Cedi Osman, and eventually Derrick Rose came aboard, but none of those players was viewed as a potential difference-maker in a series against Golden State.

The Cavs finally made their big summer splash in late August, sending All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to the Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Nets’ unprotected 2018 first-round pick.

On the surface, it sounds like a massive haul for Irving, but Zizic and the draft pick won’t help much in 2017/18, barring their inclusion in another trade. And it’s possible that Thomas’ impact this season could be minimal as well, if his recovery from a hip injury doesn’t progress as smoothly as hoped. It’s a risky move for the Cavs, and one that probably sets them up more for the seasons beyond 2017/18 than it does for the short term.

Offshore betting site Bovada.lv projects Cleveland’s win total for the coming season at an over/under of 53.5. That may not seem like a significant total for a team led by LeBron James, but the Cavs have only topped that mark once in the three years since LeBron’s return — typically, the club doesn’t push hard for that No. 1 seed in the East, preferring to save its energy for the postseason. If Thomas misses time, or if the new-look Cavs take some time to gel, finishing with 53 wins or less wouldn’t be surprising.

What do you think? Do the Cavs simply have too much talent to finish under 53.5 wins, or will the team once again sacrifice a sparkling regular season record in order to focus on the playoffs? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Previous over/under voting results:

Poll: San Antonio Spurs’ 2017/18 Win Total

While many of the NBA’s top would-be threats to the Warriors made blockbuster deals this summer – including last week’s Cavs/Celtics swap and Houston’s Chris Paul acquisition – the Spurs had a quieter offseason.

There were rumblings as free agency approached that San Antonio would look to create cap room in order to make a run at Paul or another notable veteran, but the Spurs ultimately didn’t make major changes.

Pau Gasol, Patty Mills, and Manu Ginobili got new deals from the club, and the most significant outside acquisition was Rudy Gay, who continues to recover from a season-ending Achilles tear. Other new additions include Joffrey Lauvergne and Derrick White, who are unlikely to make a huge impact for the Spurs in 2017/18.

A lack of high-profile trades or signings – along with the departures of rotation players Jonathon Simmons and Dewayne Dedmon – have oddsmakers projecting a slight dip in the standings for the Spurs this season. Coming off a 61-21 record last season, the Spurs have an over/under of 54.5 wins for 2017/18, according to offshore betting site Bovada.

What do you think? Despite their underwhelming offseason, will the Spurs continue to exceed expectations, or should we expect to see San Antonio’s win total fall off a little this season? Vote in our poll and then jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Previous over/under voting results:

Poll: Houston Rockets’ 2017/18 Win Total

The highlight of the Rockets’ offseason occurred before the new league year and free agent period even began. Chris Paul had been on track all year to be one of the top free agents available this summer, but when he committed to opting into the final year of his current contract, he pushed his free agency back by a year and gave the Rockets the opportunity to trade for him before July 1.

Houston sacrificed a ton of depth in the Paul trade, which saw players like Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, and Montrezl Harrell head to the Clippers, and there may be some growing pains for the Rockets as Paul and James Harden figure out how best to share the ball.

Still, there’s plenty of reason for optimism in Houston — in addition to adding an All-Star point guard, the Rockets also re-signed Nene and brought aboard of pair of strong perimeter defenders in free agency, signing P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute.

The Rockets had a 55-27 record in 2016/17, and oddsmakers expect the team to finish right in that neighborhood again. Offshore betting site Bovada has placed Houston’s over/under for the 2017/18 season at 55.5 wins.

What do you think? Will the addition of CP3 give the Rockets the boost they need to improve upon last year’s record? Or will the loss of some role players and the adjustment period for the new-look roster result in a slight decline during the coming regular season? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Previous over/under voting results:

Poll: Boston Celtics’ 2017/18 Win Total

Even before the Celtics finally completed their acquisition of Kyrie Irving late on Wednesday night, it had been an eventful offseason for Danny Ainge and the C’s, who traded the first overall pick in June and then signed one of the summer’s top free agents in July. A year after finishing atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 53-29 record, Boston appears to have an even more talented roster, but the club will be lacking continuity after a busy summer.

Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Jayson Tatum are the big-name acquisitions in Boston, but there are changes up and down the roster, with only four returning players (Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier). Head coach Brad Stevens will have his work cut out for him as he looks to incorporate 11 new players into the mix to start the 2017/18 season.

In addition to Irving, Hayward, and Tatum, the Celtics’ notable additions include Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes, and a slew of rookies, including Guerschon Yabusele, Semi Ojeleye, and Abdel Nader. While that’s a solid group, Boston’s departing players shouldn’t be overlooked. The club lost two of its best defenders in Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder, and sacrificed some size and rebounding by parting with Kelly Olynyk, Amir Johnson, and Tyler Zeller. Gerald Green and Jonas Jerebko are gone too.

Despite all the turnover on the roster, offshore betting site Bovada.lv is bullish on the Celtics’ chances to once again claim the No. 1 seed in the East in 2017/18. Bovada has placed Boston’s over/under at 55.5 wins, the top projection in the Eastern Conference.

What do you think? Can the Celtics win 56 games or more, or will the team experience some growing pains as all the new players adjust to Stevens’ system and to one another? Vote below in our poll, then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Previous over/under voting results:

Poll: Over/Under On Warriors’ 2017/18 Win Total

Heading into the 2016/17 season, Las Vegas sportsbooks set the over/under for the Warriors’ win total at 66.5. Even for a team coming off a record-breaking 73-9 campaign, that looked like an incredibly high bar to clear. But the Warriors did clear it, posting a 67-15 regular season record before going 16-1 in the postseason.

A year later, expectations in Vegas are even higher for the Warriors. As Ben Fawkes of ESPN.com details, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook unveiled its over/under figures for all 30 NBA teams, and Golden State leads the way at an incredible 67.5 wins.

It’s a staggering number, and one that would become nearly impossible to achieve if one or two of the Warriors’ key players goes down with an injury. Still, given what we’ve seen from the team over the last two years, it makes sense — particularly since the general consensus is that Golden State had one of the most successful summers of any NBA team.

The Warriors didn’t lose any core players from last year’s championship roster, with Ian Clark, Matt Barnes, and James Michael McAdoo the only notable departures. To fill the openings on the roster, the Dubs went out and landed Nick Young and Omri Casspi, who may end up being upgrades.

What do you think? Can this year’s version of the Warriors beat their over-under odds again and win 68 or more games? Or would you bet the under on 67.5? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your two cents.

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Revisiting NBA Over/Under Predictions For 2016/17

At the start of the 2016/17 NBA season, we took a close look at the projected win totals for each NBA team, with the help of the lines from offshore betting site Bovada.lv. Division by division, we ran through every club from the Warriors (66.5) to the Nets (20.5), allowing you to weigh in and vote on whether you though each team’s win total would ultimately end up above or below its preseason projection.

With the regular season now in the books, we’re taking a look back today at the results of those votes to see how we fared in our predictions. Listed below are the over/unders for each team, the results of our preseason votes, and the team’s regular season record. Our correct calls are noted in green, while the ones we missed are marked in red.

Here are the results:

Atlantic (2-3)

  • Boston Celtics (52.5 wins): Under (54.59%)
    • Record: 53-29 (Over)
  • Toronto Raptors (50.5 wins): Over (54.63%)
    • Record: 51-31 (Over)
  • New York Knicks (38.5 wins): Over (71.41%)
    • Record: 31-51 (Under)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (23.5 wins): Under (54.62%)
    • Record: 28-54 (Over)
  • Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins): Under (60.74%)
    • Record: 20-62 (Under)

Central (2-3)

  • Cleveland Cavaliers (56.5 wins): Over (66.5%)
    • Record: 51-31 (Under)
  • Detroit Pistons (44.5 wins): Over (55.03%)
    • Record: 37-45 (Under)
  • Indiana Pacers (44.5 wins): Over (73.06%)
    • Record: 42-40 (Under)
  • Chicago Bulls (38.5 wins): Over (61.9%)
    • Record: 41-41 (Over)
  • Milwaukee Bucks (34.5 wins): Over (67.48%)
    • Record: 42-40 (Over)

Southeast (2-3)

  • Atlanta Hawks (43.5 wins): Over (59.84%)
    • Record: 43-39 (Under)
  • Charlotte Hornets (42.5 wins): Under (62.22%)
    • Record: 36-46 (Under)
  • Washington Wizards (42.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
    • Record: 49-33 (Over)
  • Orlando Magic (37.5 wins): Over (54.42%)
    • Record: 29-53 (Under)
  • Miami Heat (34.5 wins): Under (61.45%)
    • Record: 41-41 (Over)

Northwest (1-4)

  • Utah Jazz (49 wins): Under (68.72%)
    • Record: 51-31 (Over)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (45.5 wins): Over (69.92%)
    • Record: 41-41 (Under)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (43.5 wins): Over (65.71%)
    • Record: 47-35 (Over)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (40.5 wins): Over (50.11%)
    • Record: 31-51 (Under)
  • Denver Nuggets (37 wins): Under (68.81%)
    • Record: 40-42 (Over)

Southwest (3-2)

  • San Antonio Spurs (58.5 wins): Under (57.4%)
    • Record: 61-21 (Over)
  • Houston Rockets (44 wins): Over (52.76%)
    • Record: 55-27 (Over)
  • Memphis Grizzlies (42.5 wins): Over (59.69%)
    • Record: 43-39 (Over)
  • Dallas Mavericks (38.5 wins): Over (69.71%)
    • Record: 33-49 (Under)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (37 wins): Under (70.9%)
    • Record: 34-48 (Under)

Pacific (3-2)

  • Golden State Warriors (66.5 wins): Over (67.32%)
    • Record: 67-15 (Over)
  • Los Angeles Clippers (53.5 wins): Over (61.96%)
    • Record: 51-31 (Under)
  • Sacramento Kings (34 wins): Under (58.1%)
    • Record: 32-50 (Under)
  • Phoenix Suns (30 wins): Over (52.6%)
    • Record: 24-58 (Under)
  • Los Angeles Lakers (24.5 wins): Over (65.92%)
    • Record: 26-56 (Over)

On the whole, we were just 13-17 when it came to accurately predicting over/unders for 2016/17, so hopefully no one took our votes to Vegas before the season got underway.

Before the season, our readers were most bullish on the Pacers, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, and Bucks to outperform expectations, but ultimately only Milwaukee exceeded their projected win total out of that group. The other four teams fell multiple games short.

Our readers were most bearish on the Pelicans, Nuggets, Jazz, Hornets, and Heat, strongly voting for the under in each case. However, Denver, Utah, and Miami all exceeded expectations, surpassing their projected win totals.

Which teams disappointed or impressed you most based on preseason expectations? Jump into the comments section below to share your thoughts.

2016/17 NBA Over/Unders: Recap

Over the last week and a half, we’ve been taking a look at the predicted 2016/17 win totals, with the help of the lines from offshore betting site Bovada.lv. Division by division, we’ve run through every team from the Warriors (66.5) to the Nets (20.5), allowing you to weigh in and vote on whether you think each club’s win total will ultimately end up above or below its preseason projection.

All 30 polls are now closed, and with the regular season set to get underway tonight, it’s time to see where we landed. Here are the results of your voting:

Atlantic:

  • Boston Celtics (52.5 wins): Under (54.59%)
  • Toronto Raptors (50.5 wins): Over (54.63%)
  • New York Knicks (38.5 wins): Over (71.41%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (23.5 wins): Under (54.62%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins): Under (60.74%)

Northwest:

  • Utah Jazz (49 wins): Under (68.72%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (45.5 wins): Over (69.92%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (43.5 wins): Over (65.71%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (40.5 wins): Over (50.11%)
  • Denver Nuggets (37 wins): Under (68.81%)

Central:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers (56.5 wins): Over (66.5%)
  • Detroit Pistons (44.5 wins): Over (55.03%)
  • Indiana Pacers (44.5 wins): Over (73.06%)
  • Chicago Bulls (38.5 wins): Over (61.9%)
  • Milwaukee Bucks (34.5 wins): Over (67.48%)

Southwest:

  • San Antonio Spurs (58.5 wins): Under (57.4%)
  • Houston Rockets (44 wins): Over (52.76%)
  • Memphis Grizzlies (42.5 wins): Over (59.69%)
  • Dallas Mavericks (38.5 wins): Over (69.71%)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (37 wins): Under (70.9%)

Southeast:

  • Atlanta Hawks (43.5 wins): Over (59.84%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (42.5 wins): Under (62.22%)
  • Washington Wizards (42.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
  • Orlando Magic (37.5 wins): Over (54.42%)
  • Miami Heat (34.5 wins): Under (61.45%)

Pacific:

  • Golden State Warriors (66.5 wins): Over (67.32%)
  • Los Angeles Clippers (53.5 wins): Over (61.96%)
  • Sacramento Kings (34 wins): Under (58.1%)
  • Phoenix Suns (30 wins): Over (52.6%)
  • Los Angeles Lakers (24.5 wins): Over (65.92%)

Based on voting percentages, our readers are most bullish on the Pacers, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, and Bucks to outperform expectations, and are bearish on the Pelicans, Nuggets, Jazz, Hornets, and Heat. Meanwhile, there was virtually no consensus on the Timberwolves — the “over” won by just a single vote.

Disagree strongly with the majority for any team in particular? Let us know in the comments section. We’ll revisit this discussion at the end of the 2016/17 season to see how we did.

2016/17 NBA Over/Unders: Pacific Division

The 2016/17 NBA regular season gets underway just a couple days from now, which means it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign. With the help of the lines from offshore betting site Bovada.lv, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division, and having you weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic. Having looked at the Atlantic, Northwest, Central, Southwest, and Southeast divisions so far, we’re moving on to the Pacific today…

Golden State Warriors

(App users, click here for Warriors poll)


Los Angeles Clippers

(App users, click here for Clippers poll)


Sacramento Kings

(App users, click here for Kings poll)


Phoenix Suns

(App users, click here for Suns poll)


Los Angeles Lakers

(App users, click here for Lakers poll)


Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Boston Celtics (52.5 wins): Under (54.59%)
  • Toronto Raptors (50.5 wins): Over (54.63%)
  • New York Knicks (38.5 wins): Over (71.41%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (23.5 wins): Under (54.62%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins): Under (60.74%)

Northwest:

  • Utah Jazz (49 wins): Under (68.72%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (45.5 wins): Over (69.92%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (43.5 wins): Over (65.71%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (40.5 wins): Over (50.11%)
  • Denver Nuggets (37 wins): Under (68.81%)

Central:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers (56.5 wins): Over (66.5%)
  • Detroit Pistons (44.5 wins): Over (55.03%)
  • Indiana Pacers (44.5 wins): Over (73.06%)
  • Chicago Bulls (38.5 wins): Over (61.9%)
  • Milwaukee Bucks (34.5 wins): Over (67.48%)

Southwest:

  • San Antonio Spurs (58.5 wins): Under (57.4%)
  • Houston Rockets (44 wins): Over (52.76%)
  • Memphis Grizzlies (42.5 wins): Over (59.69%)
  • Dallas Mavericks (38.5 wins): Over (69.71%)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (37 wins): Under (70.9%)

Southeast:

  • Atlanta Hawks (43.5 wins): Over (59.84%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (42.5 wins): Under (62.22%)
  • Washington Wizards (42.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
  • Orlando Magic (37.5 wins): Over (54.42%)
  • Miami Heat (34.5 wins): Under (61.45%)