NBA 2020-2021 Win Totals: Over/Under Predictions For Lakers, Clippers, Heat, Top Teams

The Los Angeles Lakers are the overwhelming favorites to win the 2021 NBA Finals after capturing the championship in the Disney bubble a little over two months ago.

The Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets make up the next tier of contenders, according to the betting odds, as the abbreviated season tips off Dec. 21.

Milwaukee had the league’s best record a season ago, but it was the Miami Heat that won the Eastern Conference. In the upcoming truncated 72-game season that potentially could be disrupted by postponements, betting on team win totals won’t be easy.

How many games will the top contenders win in the 2020-2021 NBA season? Here are predictions for the teams with the highest over/under win percentage in each conference at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers Under 66.5% (47.5 wins in 72 games)

Coming off the shortest offseason (71 days) in history, the Lakers are going to have to coast through at least some portion of the regular season. LeBron James’ defense could regress to where it was in Cleveland, and Los Angeles might even be careful with the oft-banged up Anthony Davis. All that matters is getting to the postseason and defending their title.

Los Angeles Clippers Over 65.5% (47 wins in 72 games)

The Clippers managed to win 68% of their games last year despite Paul George’s shoulder injury and the well-documented chemistry issues within the team. Los Angeles was a great regular-season team when both George and Kawhi Leonard played. Expect them to be motivated after choking in the 2020 playoffs.

Denver Nuggets Over 60.5% (43.5 wins in 72 games)

Jamal Murray emerged as a true superstar in the bubble, and Nikola Jokic is already a top-10 player in the league. The Nuggets won at least 63% of their games in each of the last two seasons, and this team might be better than both of those squads. Don’t be shocked if Denver ends up with the No.1 seed.

Dallas Mavericks Under 57.5% (41.5 wins in 72 games)

As great as Luka Doncic is, he still needs more help around him. Kristaps Porzingis is a walking injury and will miss the start of the season. Having Tim Hardaway Jr. as your third-best player will make it difficult to earn a top-four seed.

Utah Jazz Over 57.5% (41.5 wins in 72 games)

Utah has been the NBA’s most consistent regular-season team since 2016, winning between 58.5% and 62.2% of its games in each of the last four years. With Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic all returning, the Jazz should be just as good in 2020-2021.

Eastern Conference

Milwaukee Bucks Over 68.5% (49.5 wins in 72 games)

Milwaukee has proven to be a dominant regular-season team, earning the league’s best record in two straight seasons by winning nearly 75% of its games. The Bucks certainly didn’t get worse in the offseason by losing Eric Bledsoe and trading for Jrue Holiday. Unless Giannis Antetokounmpo gets hurt, the Bucks should once again be in contention for the No.1 seed.

Boston Celtics Under 63.5% (45.5 wins in 72 games)

Boston could be one of the teams most negatively affected by an improved East. The Celtics lost Gordon Hayward in free agency, and Kemba Walker will be out until at least January with a knee injury. They are a playoff team, but there’s a chance 2020 was their best shot to reach the NBA Finals.

Brooklyn Nets Under 62.5% (45 wins in 72 games)

The Nets have too many injury concerns to confidently expect more than 45 wins. Kyrie Irving is always missing games, and Kevin Durant might not return to his old form after a torn Achilles. Even if Brooklyn’s stars do stay healthy, they could struggle with chemistry issues the way the Clippers did last season.

Miami Heat Under 60.5% (43.5 wins in 72 games)

It won’t be easy for the Heat to surpass last year’s win total after such a short break since the Finals. Jimmy Butler is a top-10 player, but his performance on the biggest stage isn’t indicative of what he’s going to do over the course of an entire regular season. Miami will probably hover around 60% and be among the favorites in the East once the playoffs start.

Philadelphia 76ers Over 58.5% (42 wins in 72 games)

Philadelphia is set up to have its best season with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons on the roster. Daryl Morey has surrounded the stars with shooting, which the team severely lacked last year. If the Embiid-Simmons experiment doesn’t go as planned, the 76ers could become the most likely team to trade for James Harden.