Fansided

Picking every NBA over/under win total

By Brad Rowland

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) takes the court prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) takes the court prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) dribbles the basketball against Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) during the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Jazz defeated the Kings 101-95. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) dribbles the basketball against Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) during the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Jazz defeated the Kings 101-95. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Portland Trail Blazers – Over/Under 26.5 wins

I’m so sorry, Blazers fans.

Portland is, by all accounts, the worst team in the Western Conference heading into this season, and that is a firm indictment when your roster includes an All-Star level player in Damian Lillard. If you are a fantasy basketball player, investing in Lillard may not be a bad idea, as he is going to do whatever he wants offensively as a result of lack of help.

The roster is clearly in a state of flux, with a frontcourt overpopulated by fringe power forwards and, well, Meyers Leonard, but with Batum and Matthews gone on the wing and the Blazers tens of millions under the salary cap, it’s a tanking season in Portland. Take the under and profit.

The Pick: Under (18-64)

Sacramento Kings – Over/Under 34.5 wins

I’m in on the Kings! I’m in on the Kings! I’m in on the Kings!

Backing this grease fire of a franchise is never a “safe” bet, but if we examine the roster as it stands, Sacramento looks like a fringe playoff contender. DeMarcus Cousins might be a top-10 player in the league when he’s trying, while Rudy Gay had a very nice season in 2014-2015 and the Kings have legitimate guys in Ben McLemore, Darren Collison and Kosta Koufos.

This is, ultimately, going to come down to how Cousins performs and how Rajon Rondo is integrated into George Karl’s offense. Simply put, Rondo has been bad for a couple of years now, and if you like the under, he’s probably the reason. Still, the presence of Collison gives Karl some ammunition to keep Rondo on a short leash, and the Cousins-Gay combo (backed up by Koufos and first-rounder Willie Cauley-Stein) intrigues me enough where I’m going over.

Pray for my sanity.

The Pick: Over (41-41)

Next: Spurs and Raptors

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