Eastern Conference team projected to have best record in NBA

Feb 15, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a press conference during NBA All Star Saturday Night at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics may not have won the NBA championship last season, but their runner-up finish is inspiring oddsmakers for the 2022-2023 season.

Sportsbetting.ag has posted projected win totals for the next NBA season. The Celtics have the highest total at 53.5 wins. The teams next up on the list are the Clippers and Suns at 52.5 wins.

Last season, Phoenix blew win totals away by going 64-18. The Grizzlies had the next best win total at 56-26. Golden State and Miami tied for the third-best total in the league at 53-29.

The odds for next season indicate a few things.

One, oddsmakers are not projecting that there will be a runaway team to star in the regular season. Additionally, the odds showing no Western Conference team with a win total higher than 52.5 suggests they believe the teams in the stacked conference will beat up on each other.

The choice of Boston to have the best record makes sense. The Celtics started last season slowly and were 18-21 as of January 6. They came on late and went 33-10 over the rest of the season before going on to reach the NBA Finals. The team seemed to figure out their identity and mesh under new coach Ime Udoka.

With all their players returning and more continuity expected, Boston should do well again in 2022-2023.