Player movement has settled down since free agency began in early July, and as preseason basketball approaches, rosters around the league are more solidified.
We now have a better sense of the 30 different lineups, and the Warriors still look like the best squad on paper.
Any core with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green instantly gains respect.
Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas have posted their over-under for each NBA team this upcoming season, and it was no surprise that the Warriors have the highest.
Their over/under benchmark is 66.5 wins, and the fact that it might seem like a conservative estimate at first glance is absolutely astounding.
The Warriors won 73 games last season, so even if they exceed their over/under, they’d still end up with 6 less wins compared to last season.
NBA opening win totals @LVSuperBook:
Warriors 66.5
Cavs 56.5
Spurs 56.5
Clippers 53.5
Celtics 51.5
Lakers 24.5https://t.co/s44FdfeTPI— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) September 20, 2016
Granted 67 wins would still rank as a historic regular season total, but this team might be better on paper than they were last season.
They may have lost Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Marreese Speights, Festus Ezeli, Leandro Barbosa, and Brandon Rush, but have acquired Durant, Zaza Pachulia, and David West, as well as rookies Damian Jones and Patrick McCaw.
What’s more surprising is how much higher they are than the next teams on the list. The Cleveland Cavaliers are the defending NBA champions, and their over/under is at 56.5. The San Antonio Spurs are also at 56.5 after winning 67 games last season.
The Warriors were placed as high as 68.5 the day after the Durant signing, but a flurry of bets on the under lowed the win total.
Odds have also been placed on the Warriors to win the Pacific Division at 1/40, making them overwhelming favorites to get the division crown.
Believe it or not, the team to receive the most individual bets to win the championship is the New York Knicks.
Sidenote to NBA win totals: More bets have placed on the Knicks to win NBA title than any other team @LVSuperBook. https://t.co/s44FdfeTPI
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) September 20, 2016
The Knicks have 80-1 odds, so that might be wishful thinking from fans wanting to cash in on a lineup that looks much improved after an active offseason.
Not as much money can be made betting on the Warriors to win the championship, although it is way more likely.
About 60% of the money bet on Westagate’s odds have been placed on the Warriors, though, illustrating their popularity.
With the over/under of 66.5, I’d probably go under, just because there might be some growing pains early as the team gets acclimated to one another.
It wouldn’t surprise me if this team won over 70 games, but I tend to think they’ll end up settling somewhere in that 64-67 range, which is still a fantastic season.
Also, you never know what injuries are going to hit which players. 67 wins just seems like a high total to bet on.
However, I think we all learned last season that lofty regular season win totals don’t guarantee a championship.
The Warriors’ main goal will be to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June. Any other team accolades are a bonus.