5. Los Angeles Clippers- 55.5 wins
2013-14 Record: 57-25
In Doc Rivers’ first season as head coach, the Clippers won 57 games and took the Thunder to six games in the Western Conference Semifinals in the midst of one of the worst scandals in NBA history. The series with the Thunder would have likely gone the same way regardless of the Donarld Sterling saga, but you never know.
Why you should take the Over:
The Clippers are easily one of the best teams in the league, and they got even better this offseason by adding Chris Douglas-Roberts, Ekpe Udoh, and Spencer Hawes. Those names don’t exactly jump off the page, but each of those players is good enough to be the difference in a playoff series.
Last season, Chris Paul missed 19 games, and the Clippers went 13-6 in those games Paul missed. Had Paul not missed those games, it’s plausible the Clippers could have won more than 60 games last season. If Paul can remain healthy, the Clippers have a chance at winning 60 games again.
In Paul’s absence, Blake Griffin took his game to new heights and easily had the best season of his career in 2014. If Griffin can continue his rise to NBA superstardom, the Clippers will win more than 55 games easily next season.
Why you should take the Under:
As a whole, the West is better than it was last season. By my calculation, there’s roughly 11 teams that could realistically make the playoffs. When the competition is that steep, there’s always a possibility of losing a winnable game here and there.
If the Clippers stay healthy, however, they shouldn’t have a problem winning at least 56 games next season.
Take the over on the Clippers; they’re that good this season.