The NBA season may be 50 days away, but Vegas is all in on basketball gambling. Over/unders for every team have been released.
The Westgate Las Vegas Super Book released its annual over/under win totals for each NBA team on Tuesday, and the experts aren’t bullish on the Pacers.
Vegas has Indiana’s win total at 31.5 games. This projection slots the Pacers fourth in the Central division behind Cleveland, Milwaukee and Detroit. Additionally, Indiana is projected to finish 11th in the Eastern Conference, well outside of the playoff race.
Other notable lines include Boston at 56.5 wins, three games higher than Cleveland for first place in the east. And to the surprise of no one, Golden State leads the association with a projected 67.5 wins.
Can Indiana win at least 32 games?
Before Pacers fans bet their mortgage on the team winning at least 32 games, consider the following.
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Indy only has two starters from last year in Myles Turner and Thaddeus Young. It’s tough for any team to win with so much roster turnover. Furthermore, the 2016 Pacers ranked 15th in offensive rating and 16th in defensive rating, two stats that are poised to dip with the new young team.
Oh, and the minor issue that Indiana traded away its most talented player in franchise history should be considered as well.
The safe bet for fans is Indiana winning less than 31.5 games. All signs are pointing to a rocky season at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Unless Jesus Shuttlesworth himself signs with Indiana in the next 50 days, it’s hard to believe the 2017 squad is capable of winning 32+ games.
However, things aren’t all bad in Pacer land. They have a fancy new practice facility, brand new Nike jerseys and one of the brightest budding stars in the association with Myles Turner.
Next: No, the Pacers did not give away Paul George
32 wins may be a stretch for 2017-18, but the future is bright for this new core of young talent.