NBA season is a week and a half away! But we can start betting now on these kinds of futures. These are all just leans right now which I will lock up a few days before the season starts.
Cleveland Cavs Over 30 wins
This is the first thing that stood out for me. A 30 win team is extremely awful. Going 30-52 is basically winning about 36.5% of all the games. There are many weaker teams than this Cleveland team with a lot to prove without Lebron James. I think they get at least 35 wins and barely miss the playoffs.
Charlotte Bobcats Under 39 wins
Charlotte was a surprise team last year making the playoffs. But they are not going to be making the playoffs again this year. Last year was a fluke. The East is much much stronger this year with the Bulls contending to make a strong push, the perennial contenders Boston and Orlando, and of course the Heat. You can also argue Milwaukee/New York/Philly and Cleveland having a shot at making the playoffs. 39 wins is a few wins too many. The Bobcats did not add any significant personnel in the preseason, and they let go of their floor general Raymond Felton. I think they win 33-34 games and go back to mediocrity.
OKC Thunder Under 50 wins
This line is inflated. Although the west's contenders have weakened significantly with Utah and Denver in turmoil, other teams like Portland, Houston and Memphis will take advantage of this and not OKC. Teams will prepare more for OKC. They are not a surprise team anymore. They also lack significant size in the middle and this will show against the long teams of the west.
Thoughts??