With the historic 75th NBA season underway, sportsbooks like DraftKings have had to stay on top of NBA win totals odds as each game passes. Some  good teams have struggled and some bad teams have played above expectations. One team in the Brooklyn Nets may have struggled to start the year without all-star Kyrie Irving but still have the highest-projected win total, according to oddsmakers. 

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The sportsbook has the Nets O/U win total set at 54.5 for the remainder of the season, which will be full 82-game slate after the teams only played 70 last year. Brooklyn is also the favorite to win the NBA Championship but it remains to be seen how the Nets will fare for the rest of the season without their third star.

The defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks have the next-highest win total at 53.5 with a win already over the Nets in the season opener. The Utah Jazz also are listed at 53.5 for NBA win total odds.

Let’s take a look at why the Nets are projected to lead the NBA in overall wins and see if there are a couple of teams worth betting now to rise above or fall short of expectations:

Who will have the best record in the NBA?

TeamWIn TotalWIn Total
Atlanta HawksUnder 47.5 -120Over 47.5 100
Brooklyn NetsUnder 54.5 -120Over 54.5 100
Boston CelticsOver 44.5 -110Under 44.5 -110
Charlotte HornetsOver 40.5 -110Under 40.5 -110
Chicago BullsOver 45.5 -110Under 45.5 -110
Cleveland CavaliersOver 29.5 -110Under 29.5 -110
Dallas MavericksOver 47.5 -120Under 47.5 100
Denver NuggetsOver 45.5 -115Under 45.5 -105
Detroit PistonsOver 23.5 -110Under 23.5 -110
Golden State WarriorsUnder 49.5 -125Over 49.5 105
Houston RocketsUnder 25.5 -120Over 25.5 100
Indiana PacersUnder 41.5 -125Over 41.5 105
Los Angeles ClippersUnder 43.5 -120Over 43.5 100
Los Angeles LakersUnder 50.5 -120Over 50.5 100
Memphis GrizzliesOver 43.5 -125Under 43.5 105
Miami HeatOver 48.5 -110Under 48.5 -110
Milwaukee BucksOver 53.5 -115Under 53.5 -105
Minnesota TimberwolvesOver 37.5 -125Under 37.5 105
New Orleans PelicansUnder 37.5 -120Over 37.5 100
New York KnicksUnder 43.5 -115Over 43.5 -105
Oklahoma City ThunderOver 22.5 -120Under 22.5 100
Orlando MagicOver 21.5 -115Under 21.5 -105
Philadelphia 76ersOver 48.5 -115Under 48.5 -105
Phoenix SunsUnder 49.5 -120Over 49.5 100
Portland Trail BlazersOver 43.5 -115Under 43.5 -105
San Antonio SpursOver 29.5 -110Under 29.5 -110
Sacramento KingsOver 37.5 -115Under 37.5 -105
Toronto RaptorsUnder 34.5 -115Over 34.5 -105
Utah JazzUnder 53.5 -115Over 53.5 -105
Washington WizardsUnder 37.5 -125Over 37.5 105

Why do the Brooklyn Nets have the highest NBA win total?

Having a trio of superstars where Kyrie Irving is your worst All-Star just shows how much ungodly talent the Nets have at the top of their roster. But, when you don't have him on the team, it shouldn't be a shock to see the Brooklyn Nets struggle to start the 2021-22 NBA season.

That being said, sportsbooks like DraftKings know there's an outside shot Irving will return to the team at some point this season and also weigh the Nets schedule, which was fairly tough to start the year. Games against the Bucks, Heat and Sixers is a tough gauntlet for any team to go through and the Nets are 1-2 SU in those games.

The good news for the Nets is they're still led by the best offensive player in the world in Kevin Durant and then arguably second-best offensive player in James Harden, Harden hasn't looked great so far with his scoring significantly down compared to previous seasons as he adjusted to the new NBA foul rules for offensive players.

The Nets won 48 of 70 regular season games last year, which is shocking when you consider everything the team went through. Durant missed 35 games due to COVID-19 and a thigh injury. Irving only played 54 games and was AWOL for a period. Harden only played 35 games and was playing himself back into shape after his ugly departure from Houston. There's still a lot of season left against weaker teams that the Nets can beat up on and rack up wins.

Another factor for why bettors need to seriously consider the O54.5 wins for Brooklyn is this team actually has legit depth now. They signed Patty Mills as another shooter off the bench while drafting promising rookies like Day'Ron Sharpe and Cameron Thomas for rebounding and scoring. 

Bettors should also keep an eye on Irving's status before locking in your bet as his absence impacts this NBA win total more than what Harden or Durant do on the court.

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How to understand NBA over/under odds

When you go to a sportsbook like BetMGM and see NBA Win Totals odds, it can sometimes be confusing on what the numbers are for each team. FTNBets is here to explain what it means and how to approach the NBA O/U wins markets.

When you check out a sportsbook available in your state, NBA win totals odds for a team should be displayed like this:

Los Angeles Lakers O/U 52.5 wins — 2021-2022

O52.5 -110, U52.5 -110

The number beside the team name is its projected regular-season win total. In this case, it’s 52.5. If you think the Lakers will win more than 52 of 82 games, you would take the over at -110 odds. These are American odds and because it has a minus sign in front of it (-), that indicates how much you need to bet to win $100 in profit. In this case, you’d need to bet a minimum of $110 to win $100 in profit. Conversely, if you think they’re going to win fewer than 52 games, you’d take the under, also at -110. 

To see what you’d get on a winning bet based on the odds and amount wagered, check out the FTNBets Parlay Calculator.