2018-19 NBA Odds: Win Totals Released for LeBron James' Lakers, Warriors, More
With all of the NBA's key player moves likely done, odds for all 30 teams' win totals during the 2018-19 season have been released.
Per Jeff Sherman of the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, the Golden State Warriors lead the way with an over/under of 62.5 wins. The new-look Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James have lofty expectations at 48.5.
While the Warriors are the only team favored to win at least 60 games, five different teams are over the 50-win plateau.
Four of those teams—the Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors—all won at least 50 games last season. The Oklahoma City Thunder (50.5), who added Dennis Schroder and will get back Andre Roberson after he missed 43 games because of a ruptured patellar tendon, won 48 games in 2017-18.
Despite acquiring Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors' over/under of 54.5 would be a drop from their franchise-record 59 victories last season.
The James factor is significant because Los Angeles has the same over/under total as a Utah Jazz team that reached the second round of the playoffs with a budding superstar in Donovan Mitchell and defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert.
While the addition of James has the Lakers' odds soaring, the Cleveland Cavaliers' outlook appears to be bleak. The four-time defending Eastern Conference champions have an over/under of 30.5 wins, one game better than the New York Knicks at 29.5.
Not surprisingly, the Warriors and Celtics (57.5) have the two-highest projected win totals. Golden State is the two-time defending NBA champions and will eventually have DeMarcus Cousins in a lineup with Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Stephen Curry.
The Celtics are getting Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving back healthy after reaching Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
