Hot off one of the most memorable NBA Finals victories in history, the Cleveland Cavaliers certainly look primed to runaway with the Central Division crown once more this upcoming season. However, the four other teams in the division are as tenacious as they come, which could spell some volatile activity in the group’s standings.
Let’s take a look below at how the Central Division will shake down in relation to our wins-total over/under betting action. And for our coverage on the other NBA divisions, check out the following links:
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2016-17 NBA Central Division Preview
Chicago Bulls
Total wins: 40.0 (Over: -115 / Under: -115)
On paper, the Bulls appear to be a formidable team this season… if this season was to be held half a decade ago.
Sure, Chicago got the likes of Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo to make up for the departures of oft-injured Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, but Wade and Rondo are just shells of their former selves with age and injury concerns not on their side just as well. Ever since the team made the transition to run a fast-paced offense under head coach Fred Hoiberg, the only beneficiary of such a move is small forward Jimmy Butler.
There are still a lot of big names in this Bulls squad, but we’re not high on them actually contending as a playoff team this season, let alone finish with a solid record above .500. The team is decked with superstars of years past seemingly only meant to appeal the long-time Bulls fans that will watch the team regardless of how it’ll finish.
Writer’s Prediction: Under
Cleveland Cavaliers
Total wins: 57.0 (Over: -115 / Under: -115)
As the defending champs, there’s no question that the Cavaliers will be a force to be reckoned with once more. With the title-winning core from last season still pretty much in place, the only concern is whether or not LeBron James – the current frontrunner to win his third MVP Award this season at +300 – will become complacent after winning the one title that he and the city of Cleveland deserves.
Then again, you can’t find any other player driven to succeed other than James, who has led the Cavs to back-to-back 60-win seasons near the tail-end of his first stint with the team in 2009 and 2010, and with a weaker supporting cast all the more. 57 or more wins is within striking distance for sure, but that’s as long as The King doesn’t throw any fits about how his kingdom in Cleveland is being run.
Writer’s Prediction: Over
Detroit Pistons
Total wins: 44.5 (Over: -115 / Under: -115)
Continuing to trend upward are the Pistons, who have bought into Stan Van Gundy’s system extremely well for the past couple of seasons. They saw an eight-win turnaround from the 2014-15 campaign to last season, and they even qualified for the playoffs last season with a regular-season record of six games over .500 at that.
If versatile center Andre Drummond makes the leap from borderline All-Star to full-fledged superstar, and if they survive the first month of this season without the services of electric point guard Reggie Jackson (knee), the Pistons could very well shatter the 44.5 win-total line imposed upon them by the oddsmakers.
Writer’s Prediction: Over
Indiana Pacers
Total wins: 45.0 (Over: -130 / Under: EVEN)
About neck-and-neck with the Pistons in preseason expectations are the Indiana Pacers, who will now have Nate McMillan at the helm of the team after a handful of promising years with Frank Vogel. McMillan was once an esteemed head coach of the Sonics and the Blazers before taking the assistant-coaching job in Indiana and being promoted to head coach once more for this season.
There are plenty of weapons in McMillan’s disposal, particularly a 100-percent healthy Paul George. After George suffered a gruesome leg injury during a non-sanctioned game as part of the USA men’s basketball team at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, he returned last season as strong as ever.
Coupled with a dynamic big in second-year center Myles Turner and the acquisition of former Atlanta Hawks floor general Jeff Teague, expect PG-13 and the Pacers to play at a much faster pace (no pun intended) all the way to another solid winning season and playoff berth.
Writer’s Prediction: Over
Milwaukee Bucks
Total wins: 36.0 (Over: -105 / Under: -125)
There’s something still off about these Bucks, even with Jason Kidd showing some competent chops in his head-coaching debut last season. They simply have too much size and not much speed, which could be a problem given the current meta of the NBA landscape.
Perhaps Kidd has a secret formula up his sleeve wherein height is indeed might in the league after all, and the main ingredient for that concoction begins with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak showed last season that he can handle any position on the floor, and the 6-foot-11 wonder is even penciled-in as Milwaukee’s starting point guard (!) entering opening day.
Then again, and as precariously appealing as their towering roster is, the fact remains that the Bucks are as disappointing as they come year-in and year-out. They’ve won more than 36 games just twice over the last six seasons, with those two campaigns barely breaking that barrier in 2012-13 (38 wins) and 2014-15 (41).
Writer’s Prediction: Under
Predicted Order of Finish of the Division
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (59-23)
2. Indiana Pacers (50-32)
3. Detroit Pistons (45-37)
4. Chicago Bulls (39-43)
5. Milwaukee Bucks (30-52)
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