The Boston Celtics wanted to become legitimate NBA title contenders this offseason. According to Vegas, they did just that.
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook released its over/under win totals for all 30 NBA teams Tuesday, and only the defending champion Golden State Warriors have a bar set higher than Boston. The Warriors’ over/under is set at 67.5 wins, per ESPN.com’s Ben Fawkes, while the Celtics’ is set at 56.5 wins, tops in the Eastern Conference ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers (53.5).
Expectations are high for the C’s, even as the team battles to complete its trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers for star point guard Kyrie Irving. Boston signed marquee free agent Gordon Hayward and drafted promising rookie Jayson Tatum amid a busy offseason, blowing up a squad that won 53 games last season to earn the East’s No. 1 seed.
If the Celtics hit the over and tally 57 victories, it would mark their highest win total since the 2008-09 campaign.
This year’s over/unders also feature a few surprises. The Minnesota Timberwolves, who finished 13th in the Western Conference last season, have the league’s seventh-highest over/under after acquiring All-Star Jimmy Butler this summer. Vegas also is high on the Philadelphia 76ers, setting their over/under at above .500 (42.5) despite the club winning just 28 games last season.
Here are the over/under win totals for every NBA team, sorted from highest to lowest:
Golden State Warriors — 67.5
Boston Celtics — 56.5
Houston Rockets — 55.5
San Antonio Spurs — 54.5
Cleveland Cavaliers — 53.5
Oklahoma City Thunder — 51.5
Minnesota Timberwolves — 48.5
Toronto Raptors — 48.5
Milwaukee Bucks — 47.5
Washington Wizards — 47.5
Denver Nuggets — 45.5
Los Angeles Clippers — 43.5
Miami Heat — 43.5
Charlotte Hornets — 42.5
Philadelphia 76ers — 42.5
Portland Trail Blazers — 42.5
Utah Jazz — 40.5
New Orleans Pelicans — 39.5
Detroit Pistons — 38.5
Memphis Grizzlies — 37.5
Dallas Mavericks — 35.5
Los Angeles Lakers — 33.5
Orlando Magic — 33.5
Indiana Pacers — 31.5
New York Knicks — 30.5
Brooklyn Nets — 28.5
Phoenix Suns — 28.5
Sacramento Kings — 28.5
Atlanta Hawks — 25.5
Chicago Bulls — 21.5
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
