The Brooklyn Nets, the consensus favorites to win the title, opened up 54.5 league wins at Caesars Sportsbook after the NBA released its full 2021-22 schedule on Friday.
The reigning Milwaukee Bucks champion is next at 53.5. The Bucks will host the Nets on opening night, Oct. 19. Milwaukee is one of the first 1-point favorite points over Brooklyn in the first season.
The Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz each opened at 51.5, and the Phoenix Suns set at 50.5, completing the teams with the initial total of wins in the 1950s.
After last season’s abbreviated 72-game regular season, the NBA returns to its traditional 82-game roster. Caesars posted the total winnings to each team and allows bettors to bet more or less.
The Nets won 48 games last season, a .667 winning percentage. His initial total of 54.5 wins reflects an almost identical winning percentage this regular season.
The Lakers won 42 games last regular season, a percentage of 0.583 winners, which was enough to sneak into the play-in tournament for the playoffs. The Lakers advanced out of the play-in tournament, but quickly lost to the Suns in the first round of the playoffs. They went to work in the low season to rebuild their roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, adding veterans Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, among others.
Adam Pullen, deputy chief negotiator for Caesars Sportsbook, said that while Westbrook had a positive impact on the Lakers ’total wins, he is not sure what interest any of the best teams will have during the regular season.
“That’s why you see the highest total with an unusually low 54.5,” Pullen told ESPN. “All that matters is keeping players healthy. There’s no reason to go out in the regular season. Load management is the name of the game.”
The Lakers have settled as 4.5-point favorites over the Golden State Warriors in the first season.
The Warriors, who expect shooter Klay Thompson to be part of the mix again this season, lead the next tier at Caesars Sportsbook with a total of 48.5 wins. The Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat are next, each opening at 47.5.
The Oklahoma City Thunder opened with the lowest total win of the season at 22.5, and the Orlando Magic at 23.5.