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So, how good is your team really going to be?
The NBA offseason was arguably the most hectic and exciting we've seen, and as a result some of the league's best players now call different towns home. The Thunder picked up Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to join Russell Westbrook, the Celtics are now led by Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, while the Rockets have what could be the NBA's best backcourt with Chris Paul and James Harden.
All this to say, the upcoming season is going to be pretty unpredictable. And that's where SportsLine comes in.
With the regular season just two weeks away, Stephen Oh has crunched the numbers and projected the number of wins for every NBA team. So before you bet on the win total over/unders from Vegas (we've included those as well), use SportsLine's projections as a reference.
On top of the win totals, you'll also get to see your team's chances of making the playoffs (sorry in advance, Nets fans). Let's get this party started.
*Projections accurate as of Oct. 1, 2017
Credit: USATSI -
Atlanta Hawks
Our SportsLine projection: 32.1 wins
Vegas line: 26.0 wins
Projected playoff chances: 7.2 percent
Outlook: Get in early on the Hawks! Well, maybe not so fast. SportsLine's projection far exceeds the Vegas win total, but this is not a good team. If Taurean Prince and Dennis Schroder take big leaps forward they could be respectable, but the Hawks will still be one of the worst teams in the NBA.
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Boston Celtics
Our SportsLine projection: 54.8 wins
Vegas line: 54.0 wins
Projected playoff chances: 99.9 percent
Outlook: The Celtics will have some growing pains with essentially a brand new roster -- only four players return from last season. But when you've got Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford as your nucleus, you can pencil in at least 50 wins in the lowly East.
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Brooklyn Nets
Our SportsLine projection: 20.9 wins
Vegas line: 27.0 wins
Projected playoff chances: 0.1 percent
Outlook: And the good times keep on rolling in Brooklyn! The Nets will surely have one of the league's worst records this season, but at least they will play an exciting brand of basketball. Potential star D'Angelo Russell gives the franchise something it hasn't had in ... well, a long time. SportsLine projects the Nets to be much worse than Vegas thinks, and nobody is happier than the Cavs, who own the Nets' first-round pick in 2018.
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Charlotte Hornets
Our SportsLine projection: 42.2 wins
Vegas line: 43.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 81.2 percent
Outlook: The Hornets took a considerable backslide last season after a promising 2015-16 campaign. We'll see how the Dwight Howard experiment works out, but Kemba Walker and Nic Batum should be able to lead the well-coached squad back to the Eastern Conference playoffs.
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Chicago Bulls
Our SportsLine projection: 29.2 wins
Vegas line: 22.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 1.5 percent
Outlook: The rebuild is on in Chicago, and things are pretty bleak. The young players the Bulls received from Minnesota for Jimmy Butler are either unproven (Kris Dunn, Lauri Markkanen) or injured (Zach LaVine). As a result, it's going to be a rough season to be a Bulls fan. There's hope, however, as SportsLine is projecting a much higher win total than the Vegas line. So at least that's something ...
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Cleveland Cavaliers
Our SportsLine projection: 54.1 wins
Vegas line: 54.0 wins
Projected playoff chances: 99.9 percent
Outlook: Last season proved that the Cavs can do whatever they want during the regular season and it won't make one bit of difference come playoff time. But this season they have new pieces to integrate (Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Jae Crowder) and potentially improved competition (Celtics, Wizards, Raptors), so maybe they'll put a little more emphasis on getting the No. 1 seed in the East. Postseason health is the priority for the Cavs, however, and they won't hesitate to sacrifice regular-season wins if that's what it takes.
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Dallas Mavericks
Our SportsLine projection: 37.7 wins
Vegas line: 35.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 22.4 percent
Outlook: There are huge question marks surrounding the Mavericks and their future, so this season will likely be a glorified victory lap for future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki, who has previously stated his plans to retire after his 20th NBA season. Dallas will see what they have with rookie Dennis Smith Jr. and hope to get a strong season from Nerlens Noel, but a playoff appearance is clearly a longshot.
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Denver Nuggets
Our SportsLine projection: 41.4 wins
Vegas line: 45.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 56.4 percent
Outlook: The addition of Paul Millsap to an already exciting, young core makes the Denver bandwagon one of the trendiest of the upcoming season. SportsLine warns to pump the brakes on the enthusiasm, however, projecting the team to finish four wins below the Vegas line with less than a 60 percent chance to make the playoffs in the West.
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Detroit Pistons
Our SportsLine projection: 43.3 wins
Vegas line: 38.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 86.6 percent
Outlook: Nobody really knows what to expect from the Pistons, who return basically the same team from last season except for a swap of Avery Bradley for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and drafting shooter Luke Kennard. Since you never know what you're going to get in Detroit, it's probably best to heed the SportsLine model, which thinks the Pistons will far exceed the Vegas line of 38.5 wins and cruise into the playoffs.
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Golden State Warriors
Our SportsLine projection: 66.3 wins
Vegas line: 67.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 99.9 percent
Outlook: Spoiler alert -- the Warriors are going to make the playoffs. According to SportsLine, however, they'll fall short of the 67 wins they put up last year in Kevin Durant's first season with the team. An improved Western Conference is likely worth at least one more loss and Golden State's main concern is health for the playoffs, so betting the under on 67.5 might be a wise move.
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Houston Rockets
Our SportsLine projection: 54.7 wins
Vegas line: 55.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 99.9 percent
Outlook: Not since the Yao Ming-Tracy McGrady days have the Rockets come into a season with this much hype. The Vegas line of 55.5 wins is the second-highest in the league (behind the Warriors, of course), and SportsLine has them falling right around that number. Chris Paul and James Harden will likely need some time to mesh, but that offense is going to be impossible to stop on most nights.
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Indiana Pacers
Our SportsLine projection: 30.6 wins
Vegas line: 31.0 wins
Projected playoff chances: 3.2 percent
Outlook: The Paul George trade signaled a new era of Pacer basketball, with Myles Turner and Victor Oladipo as the new cornerstones. Indiana will be bad, but playing in the East should help them land right around that 31-win mark.
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Los Angeles Clippers
Our SportsLine projection: 43.3 wins
Vegas line: 44.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 72.8 percent
Outlook: Lob City is officially done, and what's left is a completely unpredictable Clippers team. Franchise staples Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan will be joined by new additions like Danilo Gallinari and Patrick Beverley, so things could either go really well or really poorly. SportsLine thinks they still have a good shot at the playoffs, but Chris Paul's departure means a sixth straight 50-win season is likely out of reach for the Clippers.
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Los Angeles Lakers
Our SportsLine projection: 35 wins
Vegas line: 33 wins
Projected playoff chances: 8.9 percent
Outlook: LaVar Ball predicted a Lakers playoff berth on draft night, but SportsLine isn't buying it. The Lonzo Ball-led Lakers have a young core full of potential with Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson, but they're still at least a year from being a playoff contender.
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Memphis Grizzlies
Our SportsLine projection: 38.9 wins
Vegas line: 37.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 32.9 percent
Outlook: Memphis officially waved goodbye to the Grit-N-Grind era by letting Zach Randolph and Tony Allen sign elsewhere this summer. As a result, they're a tricky team to predict, with a lot depending on the health of Chandler Parsons. If he's healthy, the Grizz should be in the mix for a playoff spot -- but if not, Memphis could miss the postseason for the first time since 2010.
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Miami Heat
Our SportsLine projection: 40 wins
Vegas line: 43 wins
Projected playoff chances: 63.4 percent
Outlook: After a 30-11 close to last season, the Heat got pretty much the whole band back together for this season. The additions of Kelly Olynyk and a healthy Justise Winslow have a lot of folks thinking the Heat could join the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference, but SportsLine thinks they'll fall short of the Vegas line of 43 wins.
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Milwaukee Bucks
Our SportsLine projection: 41.3 wins
Vegas line: 47.0 wins
Projected playoff chances: 74.1 percent
Outlook: Everyone wants to be excited about Giannis Antetokounmpo and the young Bucks, but SportsLine thinks they're not quite there yet. Jabari Parker is coming off of his second ACL surgery -- on the same knee -- in three seasons, and Milwaukee isn't going to surprise opponents this year as they may have done last year. All that spells a likely playoff berth for Milwaukee, but the Vegas line of 47 wins is likely a bit high.
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Minnesota Timberwolves
Our SportsLine projection: 46 wins
Vegas line: 48 wins
Projected playoff chances: 88.6 percent
Outlook: The addition of Jimmy Butler to franchise centerpieces Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins makes the Wolves one of the most exciting franchises in the league. After a disappointing 2016-17 campaign, Minnesota may finally get the elusive playoff appearance they've been searching for since 2004.
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New Orleans Pelicans
Our SportsLine projection: 42.8 wins
Vegas line: 40.0 wins
Projected playoff chances: 67.5 percent
Outlook: New Orleans has two of the most talented big men in the NBA, but the question is can they play together? The combo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins is enough for SportsLine to think the Pelicans will eclipse the Vegas line of 40 wins, but the playoffs are still anything but a certainty.
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New York Knicks
Our SportsLine projection: 35.2 wins
Vegas line: 29.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 21.4 percent
Outlook: Don't ask us why, but the SportsLine model is really high on the Knicks -- at least compared to the Vegas line. The playoffs are still a longshot, but Kristaps Porzingis will take the reins in the post-Carmelo Anthony era and could lead the Knicks to more wins than you think.
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Oklahoma City Thunder
Our SportsLine projection: 48.0 wins
Vegas line: 53.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 95.4 percent
Outlook: Some think the new-look Thunder with a big three of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony are the next-best team in the NBA besides the Warriors -- not SportsLine. While a playoff appearance is a virtual certainty, the computer model projects the Thunder to fall 5.5 wins short of the Vegas line as they slowly get used to sharing the ball.
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Orlando Magic
Our SportsLine projection: 25.8 wins
Vegas line: 33.0 wins
Projected playoff chances: 0.3 percent
Outlook: Someone in Vegas thinks the Magic are going to be decent this year, but SportsLine is in the exact opposite corner. The Magic are projected to win 7.2 fewer games than the Vegas line, the biggest discrepancy in this entire list. All this to say, don't expect the Magic to be good ... like, at all.
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Philadelphia 76ers
Our SportsLine projection: 40.7 wins
Vegas line: 39.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 70.0 percent
Outlook: It's weird to see a Sixers win projection that's not in the 20s, but this appears to be the year that Philly's "process" starts to come to fruition. The major question -- and it's a big one -- is whether the young trio of Joel Embiid, Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons can stay healthy.
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Phoenix Suns
Our SportsLine projection: 29.4 wins
Vegas line: 28.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 0.4 percent
Outlook: The Suns are one of the youngest teams in the league and have a genuine future star in Devin Booker. But they're still a long way from winning a significant amount of games. They'll be content winning a few more games than they did last year, and they might even trade Eric Bledsoe as they look for more help in next June's draft.
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Portland Trail Blazers
Our SportsLine projection: 38.8 wins
Vegas line: 42.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 32.3 percent
Outlook: The Blazers know what they're getting from Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum -- the X-factor is Jusuf Nurkic, who averaged 15.2 points and 10.4 rebounds in 20 games with the Blazers last season after being traded from the Denver Nuggets. If Nurk can maintain that performance over the course of the season, the Blazers could be better than last season. It's all hypothetical, however, and SportsLine thinks they'll underwhelm.
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Sacramento Kings
Our SportsLine projection: 35 wins
Vegas line: 28 wins
Projected playoff chances: 8.8 percent
Outlook: The Kings had their best offseason in recent history, and SportsLine noticed. Sacramento drafted potential impact rookies DeAaron Fox, Justin Jackson, Harry Giles and Frank Mason while adding veterans George Hill, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter. They may not be a playoff team, but the SportsLine model has them winning seven more games than the Vegas line.
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San Antonio Spurs
Our SportsLine projection: 53.3 wins
Vegas line: 55.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 99.8 percent
Outlook: There are few certainties in life, but the Spurs winning at least 50 games every season is one of them. Despite the improvements of the Rockets, Thunder, Wolves and Nuggets, the SportsLine model expects the steady Spurs to eclipse the 50-win mark for the 20th time in 21 seasons.
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Toronto Raptors
Our SportsLine projection: 48.8 wins
Vegas line: 47.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 98.9 percent
Outlook: Toronto brought back Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka while adding some 3-point shooting with C.J. Miles. The result is another year like the ones we've come to expect over the last four seasons -- good, but not great.
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Utah Jazz
Our SportsLine projection: 36.1 wins
Vegas line: 41.0 wins
Projected playoff chances: 13.8 percent
Outlook: Vegas seems to think the Jazz will be able to stay afloat despite the loss of Gordon Hayward and George Hill, but the SportsLine projection isn't as optimistic. Ricky Rubio will take control as the new point guard while players like Rodney Hood and Rudy Gobert will have to step up offensively. We know the Jazz will defend -- it's just a matter of whether they can score enough to win in the loaded West.
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Washington Wizards
Our SportsLine projection: 44.6 wins
Vegas line: 49.5 wins
Projected playoff chances: 92.2 percent
Outlook: After a slow start last season, the Wizards developed into one of the league's best teams. SportsLine expects a bit of a backslide from John Wall, Bradley Beal and Co., particularly with the injury to Markieff Morris. When all's said and done, however, Washington will likely be toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Credit: USATSI
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