NBA Roundtable: Southwest Division Best Bets

The 2021-2022 NBA season is less than a week away, and our team at BetSided is here to get you set with a total predictions for each team and best bets in the Futures market. 

Here are our team's best bets for the Southwest Division Win Totals, with odds courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook!

Dallas Mavericks OVER 48.5 Wins (+100)

The Dallas Mavericks have improved on their record every year for the past four seasons, and I expect them to take another step forward in the 2021-22 campaign.

They finished with 42 wins in last year’s shortened season, so reaching 49 in a full schedule certainly isn’t out of the question.

It all starts with NBA MVP favorite Luka Doncic, who will continue to establish himself as truly a top tier player in the NBA. He averaged 27.7 points, eight rebounds, and 8.6 assists last season, and he’s still only 22 years old.While they didn’t make any big splashes in the offseason to help Doncic out, he’s good enough to carry this team to 50 wins. I also wouldn’t discount the Mavs making a significant trade during the season, which would all but secure them being a top five team in the West and locking up the OVER on this bet. -- Iain McMillian

Houston Rockets UNDER 27.5 (-160)

I'm in line with Ben and Peter's thinking below, so I'll take this time to harp on the Rockets. Yes, -160 is a lot to pay for this under, but this is a Rockets team that had the worst record in the league last season, winning 17 games. Yes, if you account for the 10 extra games that would give the Rockets 28 games, but I expect a much stronger effort from the middle class of the league with each team having a full offseason and teams back on track after a chaotic last season.

With the play-in game involved again, this could spell trouble for the Rockets who are at the beginning of their rebuild. Teams in the middle of the pack are more inclined to fight for a postseason spot, while underqualified rosters like the Rockets are due to lose more than usual.

While Jalen Green is a promising rookie, this is still one of the worst groups in the league. They are much more likely to finish with 20 wins rather than 30, which this number implies .

I love this under, this team is not 11 games better than last year. -- Reed Wallach

Memphis Grizzlies OVER 41.5 WINS (-110)

Tell me how this Grizzlies team doesn't pass this number after going 38-34 last year in only 72 games?

We'll get to Morant's future stardom in a second, but there's balance in their lineup construction, especially with a healthy Jaren Jackson Jr. in 2021-22. His size, length and athleticism allows Memphis a true ability to spread the floor, and while the loss of Valanciunas is tough, Steven Adams' defensive presence down low can help allow their athletic wings in Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke to have more space to create.

Kyle Anderson keeps improving as well, setting career highs in points and assists last year.Plus, I'm fully on board with the Ja Morant MVP-hype as a dark horse candidate. As I mentioned in the BetSided team's NBA MVP breakdown, Year 3 is where the elite talent starts to really take over, especially for players who only spent one year in college.

Morant upped his three-point shooting percentage in the second half, and was outstanding the final month of the season. If he starts connecting at those second half numbers, he becomes unguardable. Play him to drive, he drains it from outside. Play him to shoot, he'll cross you up and head fearlessly into the lane for a bunny or get a teammate an open look. Plus, there's a lot of similarities to his stage at this point compared to Derrick Rose in his MVP season which also happened in Year 3.

The Grizzlies are being overlooked in the West and I can't wait to watch them pass this number with ease. -- Ben Heisler

New Orleans Pelicans UNDER 39.5  Wins (-140)

I know the -140 juice is a lot, but the New Orleans Pelicans aren’t going to be good in the 2021-22 season if Zion Williamson misses extended time. 

With no timetable for his return, I don’t know how far Brandon Ingram and Devonte Graham can take this Pelicans team.

David Griffin has done a horrible job building this roster around Zion, and he essentially let Lonzo Ball walk for next-to-nothing this offseason. 

The Pelicans are being valued by WynnBET as a borderline playoff team, but if Williamson misses a month to start the year or the injury persists, they're going to easily be lottery bound. I’ll take the under gladly as the entire Southwest division is underwhelming this season. -- Peter Dewey