Oddsmakers released win totals for the 2021-22 season and it’s not surprising to see the Brooklyn Nets as the consensus favorite, along with the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, and NBA Finals runner-up, Phoenix Suns, among the top five. DraftKings set the win totals for the Nets at 56.5, followed by the Bucks at 54.5, Lakers at 52.5, and the Suns and Jazz at 51.5.
The NBA will play a full regular season of 82 games in 2021-22, or at the least, that’s the plan provided there are no major disruptions or shutdowns due to COVID-19. Last season had a quick turnaround time and consisted of 72 games, while the NBA cut short the previous season during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in March of 2020.
| 2021-22 NBA Win Totals |
- Brooklyn Nets 56.5
- Milwaukee Bucks 54.5
- LA Lakers 52.5
- Phoenix Suns 51.5
- Utah Jazz 51.5
- Philadelphia 76ers 50.5
- Dallas Mavericks 48.5
- Golden State Warriors 48.5
- Miami Heat 48.5
- Denver Nuggets 47.5
- Atlanta Hawks 46.5
- Boston Celtics 45.5
- LA Clippers 45.5
- Portland Trail Blazers 44.5
- Chicago Bulls 42.5
- Indiana Pacers 42.5
- New York Knicks 42.5
- Memphis Grizzlies 41.5
- New Orleans Pelicans 39.5
- Charlotte Hornets 38.5
The Brooklyn Nets are the consensus favorites to win the 2022 NBA title at +210 odds, with the Lakers right behind them at +380 odds.
The Bucks are +850 odds to repeat as world champions, but it’s not easy to defend your title, especially with the Nets hell-bent on winning this season and a stronger Lakers squad in the mix after they added Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony.
Missed playoffs, high expectations
Keep eye on teams that bubbled the playoffs last season, or that have key players returning from injuries like the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are a popular pick in win totals at 48.5.
The Chicago Bulls added Lonzo Ball and locked up Zach LaVine, so don’t sleep on their win total at 42.5. The Indiana Pacers have good players and finally have a head coach with Rick Carlisle after pulling the plug on the horrendous Nate Bjorkgren experiment.
The Charlotte Hornets already saw a slight change in their win totals after the public backed them to hit the over. The Hornets are 38.5 right now and rising, especially after locking in Terry Rozier to a new contract.
Good 2021, but regression in 2022?
The New York Knicks were the surprise team last season. Can they replicate their feat in 2021-22 and secure the #4 seed again? The Knicks upgraded their backcourt with Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker, but they’ll ride or die with Julius Randle. Oddsmakers think the Knicks will regress with a win total at 42.5. A popular wager outside of Gotham is fading both the Knicks and Nets win totals this upcoming year.
Both the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz had outstanding seasons last year. At the start of the season, both teams flew under the radar with all eyes on both LA teams and the Denver Nuggets. Now that the league knows both the Suns and Jazz are legit, everyone will be gunning for them. One of those two will have a setback. Which one? Both the Jazz and Suns are 51.5 in win totals.
Look for value in the bottom feeders
Sometimes you can find a value play in the NBA’s basement. Hey, these teams don’t actually have to be good and finish the season around .500. Rather, they just have to win a couple more games than the public and oddsmakers initially anticipated.
So, which terrible teams will take a step forward in rebuilding their franchises? The Toronto Raptors won’t have Kyle Lowry in the lineup for the first time in over a decade after he went to the Miami Heat.
| 2021-22 NBA Win Totals – Bottom 10 |
- Sacramento Kings 36.5
- Toronto Raptors 35.5
- Minnesota Timberwolves 34.5
- Washington Wizards 32.5
- San Antonio Spurs 28.5
- Houston Rockets 27.5
- Cleveland Cavaliers 26.5
- Detroit Pistons 24.5
- OKC Thunder 23.5
- Orlando Magic 22.5
The young Kings have been on the cusp of great things the last few seasons, but they struggled closing out games in the fourth quarter. Break-even teams won’t qualify for the postseason in the Western Conference, but a 42-42 record for the Kings will secure an over wager on their 36.5 over/under win totals.
Word on the street is that the Minnesota Timberwolves are in the market for a Ben Simmons trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Will Simmons make the T-Wolves better or worse? Could the laid-back Aussie thrive in a much lower-pressure situation? Will his game mesh better with Karl-Anthony Towns? But if the Timberwolves stand pat and don’t trade for Simmons, you can expect another winter of discontent in Minnesota.