Las Vegas seems to believe the offseason has hurt the Warriors chances at a repeat.
After no longer being the favorites to win the title as of a few weeks ago, Golden State is now tied with a few teams for sixth place in win total over/unders according to PointsBet Sportsbook. They project the Warriors will finish with 50.5 wins, tied with both the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets.
The Boston Celtics, who are bringing back essentially the same roster plus Malcolm Brogdon, are projected to lead the league with 55.5 wins. Behind them are the Clippers (53.5), Suns (52.5), Grizzlies (51.5) and Bucks (51.5).
The Warriors were listed as favorites to repeat right after winning the NBA title, but those odds have also fallen after an offseason that saw them lose Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. Golden State is fourth in title odds, behind the Celtics (+550), Bucks (+600), and Clippers (+700).
These odds should make Dubs’ fans feel good. Throughout the NBA playoffs, and especially during the Finals, Golden State was considered a heavy underdog by some models. ESPN believed that the Celtics had an 88 percent chance to win the NBA Finals.
Their model was way off, and the Warriors will hope this one is too.