Five NBA team win totals you need to jump on right now

NBA training camps won’t open for another month, but that hasn’t stopped the oddsmakers at TwinSpires Sports from forecasting precisely how the 2021-22 season will unfold. In addition to rolling out NBA Championship odds, they’ve also released win totals for all 30 teams. The Brooklyn Nets are projected to win the most games (55.5), while the Oklahoma City Thunder (22.5), Orlando Magic (23.5), Detroit Pistons (25.5), and Houston Rockets (25.5) are expected to bring up the rear.

We’ve examined their expert projections closely and have identified the five NBA win totals you need to wager on right now.

Boston Celtics: Under 47.5 (-114)

No team lost more firepower this offseason than the Celtics, who traded Kemba Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder and dealt Evan Fournier to the New York Knicks. Granted, the pair only played 12 games together in the regular season and playoffs combined, but collectively they averaged 36.4 points and 8.3 assists per game and put constant pressure on opposing defenses with their playmaking and 3-point shooting.

Boston still boasts a pair of bona fide stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but the franchise’s dynamic duo will struggle to keep up in a league full of Big 3’s. Expect another .500 campaign as new head coach Ime Udoka shapes his young roster.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Under 27.5 (+100)

If you squint really, really hard you can see the outlines of a good team when you look at the Cavaliers. Darius Garland and Collin Sexton are both lethal scorers, Evan Mobley is a rangy big with oodles of upside, and Jarrett Allen is a natural-born shot blocker with arms like a windmill. Unfortunately all four players are under 23 and are still learning on the job.

Cleveland hasn’t won more than 22 games in a season since LeBron James skipped town, and that trend isn’t likely to change in 2021-22. Take the Under, and check in on the Cavs’s junior varsity squad in another two years.

Golden State Warriors: Over 47.5 (-110)

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Warriors last season. Klay Thompson tore his Achilles tendon during a pick-up game, Kelly Oubre got off to a historically bad start, James Wiseman shredded the meniscus in his right knee, Damion Lee came down with COVID-19 and, to top it all off, Golden State drew the defending champs in the Play-In Tournament. And yet, despite those many setbacks, Steve Kerr’s squad still won 39 games to achieve a .542 winning percentage.

Just imagine how much better The Warriors will be this season now that Thompson and Wiseman are both healthy. Golden State also improved its depth significantly by signing Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Iguodala and drafting a pair of lottery level talents in Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.

The Warriors may not win a title in 2022, but they should certainly surpass their conservative win projection.

Denver Nuggets: Under 47.5 (-110)

The Nuggets are poised to be one of the most dangerous teams in the league when the playoffs begin, but they’re likely to take their lumps until Jamal Murray returns to the court. The electrifying combo guard tore the ACL of his left knee on April 12, and isn’t expected back until January, at the earliest.

Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and Most Improved Player candidate Michael Porter Jr. will keep the motor humming, but the Nuggets won’t move into high gear until Murray is back eviscerating defenses.

Los Angeles Clippers: Under 44.5 (-110)

Much like the Nuggets, the Clippers will also be without one of their stars to begin the season. Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard underwent surgery on July 14 to repair a partial tear of his right ACL, and isn’t scheduled to return until February. Even when he does rejoin LA, it’s unlikely he’ll log heavy minutes or appear in back-to-back games until the playoff push begins.

Los Angeles managed to win a pair of postseason games against the Utah Jazz without Leonard, but couldn’t overcome his absence against the Phoenix Suns. Expect the Clippers to tread water until "The Claw" is back at 100%.