2019-20 Regular Season Wins Props: Highest Win Total Set at 73.5
- The Milwaukee Bucks finished with the most wins in the NBA last season with 60
- No team has ever won 74 games in the NBA’s regular season
- Eight Western Conference teams won at least 48 games last season
There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the 2019-20 NBA season. With so many teams expected to be competitive, fans and bettors are expecting one of the most parity-filled years we’ve seen in a while.
Sportsbooks have posted a slew of props on regular-season win totals. Let’s take a look to see which of these are good bets.
Odds on Highest Win Total on Team From Eastern or Western Conference
| Conference | Odds |
|---|---|
| East | +105 |
| West | -125 |
*Odds taken October 17, 2019.
Winningest Teams Reside in the East
On the surface, a lot of bettors might think to bet the West here. Of course, there’s the Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and the Rockets with Russell Westbrook and James Harden. The West is where the favorites come from, according to the NBA Championship odds.
However, remember that these teams are all in the same conference and they will usually be beating up on each other. The West is going to be more of a grind than the Eastern Conference, which only has a handful of championship contenders.
Clippers really stole their jersey design from Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. pic.twitter.com/nd2ChYJFwM
— James (@OaklandAboveAll) October 15, 2019
I expect the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers to be around 60-win teams this season. Both teams have enough quality and depth to get to those marks even if they rest players.
As for the West, I think the top teams like the Clippers, Lakers, and Rockets will feel like they can win the Championship without home-court advantage over the Eastern Conference teams. They might not feel the same pressure to push for 60+ as the 55-win range might be enough. I’d bet the East at plus-money.
Odds a Team Wins 74 Games in 2019-20
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 73.5 | +1400 |
| Under 73.5 | -2500 |
*Odds taken October 17, 2019.
Highest Win Total Overall
Taking a look at the overall win total, it’s a bit of a bizarre number at 73.5. Of course, what the prop here refers to is whether or not any team will set a new record for the most wins in the NBA this season. The Golden State Warriors broke the record a few years ago when they won 73 games.
? GET OUT THE MAN’S WAY pic.twitter.com/UMXFulYJht
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 16, 2019
Last season, the top team in the NBA was the Milwaukee Bucks and they finished with 60 wins. They had an incredible season but that still put them 14 off the pace.
What’s typical is for the best teams to finish around the 55-60; 73 was a historic pace and 74 has never been done before. I wouldn’t bet on it.
Odds on Highest Win Total in Eastern Conference
| Win Total | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 58.5 | +105 |
| Under 58.5 | -125 |
*Odds taken October 17, 2019.
Highest Win Total In Eastern Conference
When you take a look at the Eastern Conference these days, it definitely feels like a two-horse racing entering the year. We’ve got the Bucks and the 76ers, both of whom should be at or near the top of the conference by the end of the regular season.
The Bucks won 60 games last year and brought back their same cast virtually intact. Head coach Mike Budenholzer is known for guiding his teams to strong regular seasons (and shaky playoff appearances), so we should expect them to get back into this 60-win range.
for three. pic.twitter.com/BAHKl9CYXP
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 9, 2019
As for the 76ers, they won 51 games last season but a lot has changed on the roster. The team subtracted Jimmy Butler, added Al Horford, Hassan Whiteside and Josh Richardson, and will now play a full season with Tobias Harris in the fold (he was acquired midseason last year).
When you take a look at the rest of the conference, there’s a lot of weakness. The Boston Celtics are a wild card, the Indiana Pacers should be decent, and the Toronto Raptors will slip without Kawhi Leonard. The Brooklyn Nets will be strong when Kevin Durant is back but he’s out most of the season.
Norvel Pelle’s rejection had the 76ers bench going crazy ? pic.twitter.com/ShqZhJV0qF
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) October 16, 2019
When you drill down into the divisions, the Bucks play with the Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. That should be a walk in the park for them.
As for the 76ers, they’re in a division with the Raptors, Nets, New York Knicks and Celtics. That’s tougher but they’re still the cream of the crop.
Overall, I’d expect at least one of these teams to top 58.5 wins.
Odds on Highest Win Total in Western Conference
| Win Total | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 60.5 | +110 |
| Under 60.5 | -130 |
*Odds taken October 17, 2019.
Highest Win Total In Western Conference
In the Western Conference, we’re looking at a higher number here as the win total is at 60.5. That’s because we have a lot of elite teams and the general mindset is that someone from the group should get above the number.
Year 17.
Not normal ?
(via @Lakers) pic.twitter.com/kDRv4yHU0M
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 17, 2019
However, I’m of the opinion that this conference is going to be an absolutely grind. There are a lot of strong teams here and that’s going to keep any of them from pulling away from the pack. Teams like the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs all should win at least 50 games.
If that’s the case, it makes it hard for anyone to hit 60 – let alone 61, which is a number no team in the league hit last year. I’d bet the under for this prop.
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
