5 Early NBA Over/Under Picks

The over/win totals are out for the 2019-20 NBA season. Here are five bets for those looking to lay down some money on July 15. All totals via BetOnline.

Brooklyn Nets 45 1/2 – OVER

The Nets with Kyrie Irving will look and play much like the Celtics did a year ago. That Boston team won 49 games and the Nets will be within one or two games of that total. As difficult as Irving is, he is one of the most gifted offensive players in the game and has a talented cast surrounding him. They are more than 3 and a half games better than last year’s team led by D'Angelo Russell. If Kevin Durant returns in six months, like Cris Carter is saying, don’t even think about it. Take the over and run.

Houston is going to have explosive spurts that make us think we are watching a game of NBA 2K with cheat codes on. However, they are going to deal with chemistry issues every single time James Harden and Russell Westbrook are on the court together. The two of them will not fit and this is a team that is going to struggle during the regular season. Perhaps the dynamic duo can find success with playoff-style basketball, but even that is a stretch. The Rockets are not even winning 50 games.

Boston Celtics 48 1/2 OVER

The Celtics are the most underrated team in the NBA. Kemba Walker is a significant upgrade over Irving fit-wise, which will help Jayson Tatum grow into the star he should be. Brad Stevens is the best coach in the conference and this roster remains one of the deepest. Losing Al Horford will hurt some, but not enough for this team to not eclipse 48 wins.

New York Knicks 27 1/2 UNDER

Sorry, New York, the Knicks are just not any good. They have some young players that will help but will not be 10 games better than last season. New York is still the worst team in the NBA and, quite frankly, it isn’t all that close. They are not winning even 20 games. Yawn. Take your money with the always unimaginative under.

Los Angeles Lakers 51 1/2 UNDER

This is puzzling. The Lakers are not nearly as good as the media nor Vegas think they are. It will take time for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to click … if they ever do. Drama follows LeBron like the sun shines over the summer (well, always in Los Angeles) This roster is so thin that it will make any minor injury season-altering. Plus, there are multiple teams better than the Lakers and have the advantage of continuity, which will result in many early-season losses. The Lakers are in for a much harder season than the folks in Los Angeles are thinking right about now.