Pacers predicted to crush their projected win total for 2024-25

The Indiana Pacers have gotten used to playing as the underdogs at this point. They were not expected to make the playoffs last season, but they did. And they certainly were not expected to make the Eastern Conference Finals, but again, they managed to do exactly that. Next season does not seem like it will be much different.

According to FanDuel, the Pacers win total odds are 47.5 wins. Last season, the Pacers won exactly 47 games in the regular season. However, likely due to their relatively quiet offseason, the oddsmakers do not expect the Pacers to improve next season. However, that has not stopped Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus from predicting a more positive outcome for the Pacers in 2024-25.

Bleacher Report predicts the Pacers will win 51 games next season

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Pincus gave one hot take for every NBA team ahead of the 2024-25 season. For the Pacers, he predicted that they would win 51 games, ultimately giving them a 51-31 record. The Pacers have not had 51 or more wins since going 56-26 during the 2013-14 season. At that time, their best player was Paul George and their head coach was Frank Vogel.

Additionally, Pincus took it a step further, predicting that Indiana will finish as a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference. It may not seem like it (and it probably should not be), but this is a bit of a hot take.

The Pacers are a great and exciting team. While many call their conference finals appearance from last season a fluke, others would simply say they were just ahead of schedule. The Pacers will sit firmly in playoff contention, but many question how legitimate their run at a championship truly is. Additionally, despite their impressive campaign last season, many are still betting against the Pacers.

When discussing which teams will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals next season, very few mention the Pacers, including some of the biggest sports experts in the world.

In a survey from August, ESPN gathered experts to offer their predictions for the 2024-25 NBA season. Naturally, one of the predictions they discussed was which team would win the Eastern Conference Finals next year. Five teams received votes, but the Pacers were not one of them.

Instead, the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Cleveland Cavaliers received votes. Additionally, the Orlando Magic, who are in a similar standing to the Pacers, are another team many believe has a better chance of making an NBA Finals appearance next season.

Fans who watched the Pacers all season last year know exactly how good this team is. They finished as the best-scoring offense in the league, they have one of the best coaches in the league, and due to how young the roster is, the Pacers should only get better as time goes on.

Given how many Pacers doubters still exist, it is certainly welcoming that there are NBA fans out there who refuse to sleep on the team...again.