Before the 2023/24 NBA season got underway, we polled Hoops Rumors readers on the win totals for each of the league’s 30 teams, using over/unders from major betting sites. From the Celtics (55.5 wins) to the Wizards (24.5 wins), our readers made their picks for whether each team’s win total would land over or under the projected figures.
This is the seventh year we’ve run these polls. After finishing a little below .500 in each of the first three seasons, our voters broke through in 2020/21 with a 17-13 record and went 16-14 in each of the next two seasons. Did that winning streak extend to four straight years in ’23/24? Let’s check in on the results and find out…
Eastern Conference
- Boston Celtics (Over 55.5 wins): ✅ (64-18)
- Philadelphia 76ers (Under 48.5 wins): ✅ (47-35)
- New York Knicks (Over 45.5 wins): ✅ (50-32)
- Brooklyn Nets (Over 37.5 wins): ❌ (32-50)
- Toronto Raptors (Over 36.5 wins): ❌ (25-57)
- Milwaukee Bucks (Over 54.5 wins): ❌ (49-33)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (Under 50.5 wins): ✅ (48-34)
- Indiana Pacers (Over 38.5 wins): ✅ (47-35)
- Chicago Bulls (Under 37.5 wins): ❌ (39-43)
- Detroit Pistons (Over 27.5 wins): ❌ (14-68)
- Miami Heat (Under 46.5 wins): ✅ (46-36)
- Atlanta Hawks (Under 42.5 wins): ✅ (36-46)
- Orlando Magic (Over 37.5 wins): ✅ (47-35)
- Charlotte Hornets (Under 31.5 wins): ✅ (21-61)
- Washington Wizards (Over 24.5 wins): ❌ (15-67)
Eastern Conference record: 9-6
For a second straight year, our readers exhibited a strong feel for the Southeast division, nailing four of those five picks. That success in the Southeast helped secure a strong overall Eastern Conference record despite big whiffs on teams like the Raptors and Pistons.
Western Conference
- Denver Nuggets (Over 53.5 wins): ✅ (57-25)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (Over 44.5 wins): ✅ (56-26)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (Under 44.5 wins): ❌ (57-25)
- Utah Jazz (Over 35.5 wins): ❌ (31-51)
- Portland Trail Blazers (Under 28.5 wins): ✅ (21-61)
- Phoenix Suns (Under 52.5 wins): ✅ (49-33)
- Golden State Warriors (Over 48.5 wins): ❌ (46-36)
- Los Angeles Lakers (Over 47.5 wins): ❌ (47-35)
- Los Angeles Clippers (Under 46.5 wins): ❌ (51-31)
- Sacramento Kings (Over 44.5 wins): ✅ (46-36)
- Memphis Grizzlies (Under 46.5 wins): ✅ (27-55)
- New Orleans Pelicans (Under 44.5 wins): ❌ (49-33)
- Dallas Mavericks (Under 44.5 wins): ❌ (50-32)
- Houston Rockets (Over 31.5 wins): ✅ (41-41)
- San Antonio Spurs (Over 28.5 wins): ❌ (22-60)
Western Conference record: 7-8
Our voters had some bad luck in a few cases, with teams like the Warriors and Lakers falling just shy of their projected win totals. There were also some more glaring misses, including on the Thunder, but those were balanced out with nice calls on the defending champion Nuggets, the rejuvenated Rockets, and injury-plagued teams like the Trail Blazers and Grizzlies.
Overall record: 16-14
For the fourth season in a row, our voters finished above .500 in their over/under picks! That’s a pretty impressive streak, given how unpredictable the NBA can be on a year-to-year basis.
Looking back at the preseason projections, along with your predictions, which team surprised or disappointed you the most? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!
This is pretty neat. We got a pretty good group here, I’d say. Always surprises for better or worse every season. Bulls bet is funny because DeRozan went off, Coby White had a good year, Dosumnu, and Big Drum balled out, counterbalanced by Lavine getting hurt. Derozan had some crazy games!
Bad teams in the NBA are only getting worse. There is little hope that these sub 20 year old players drafted in the first round can make any difference on an overwhelmed roster. It can take years to gather enough talent and escape lottery purgatory. Shows you how good a job Oklahoma City did rebuilding their roster. Looks like Houston might be next.
Well Okc had a lotta luck too
SGA bloomed more than anyone could have imagined
Houston just did a + 38 win from 23~24
So most of us were fooled by the Lillard experiment, we thought it would work out well.