NBA win totals for the 2024-25 season have opened at many sportsbooks now that a majority of the free-agent signings have taken place.
While the NBA is fully in offseason mode, the news cycle never sleeps, and our NBA analysts also never sleep in finding value on the upcoming season.
Action Network NBA analysts Matt Moore, Joe Dellera, and Jim Turvey hopped on the "Buckets" podcast to react to the early release of NBA win totals for the 2024-25 regular season and give out their favorite early bets.
Be sure to subscribe to the "Buckets" podcast for NBA bets and analysis throughout the year. Listen to the latest episode, and read our analysts' favorite bets below.
NBA Win Totals | Best Bets, Early Picks for 2024-25 Season
Grizzlies Over 45.5 Wins
Joe Dellera: Last year was just a debacle for a variety of different reasons.
There were so many injuries, obviously. Desmond Bane missed a lot of time. Ja Morant missed the bulk of the season. Steven Adams didn't play the entire season. Marcus Smart didn't play a lot either.
So, you had all these guys you expected to play, and nobody really got any run. They were one of the worst teams over the course of the season. But that's part of why I like them this year.
I like the addition of Zach Edey. I think he fits really well with what Memphis is going to want to do. He's a good screener and he's a good roller. He's not the most explosive, but that's not what they need. They don't need a rim-runner. Morant can do all the rim-running on his own.
I think one of the most important parts of last season was that because Morant wasn't there, when Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. shared the floor, they had to run the offense for the most part — even though Bane missed some time. They had to take on the No. 1 defensive assignments from other teams. They were getting game-planned against.
You saw Bane increase what he could do and what he could provide, and you saw Jackson go from about four isos per game up to 10. He was still scoring more than one point per possession on those isos, which is really good.
I think when you're looking at a full season of Morant, Edey and Smart, you're going to see a team that's gotten to practice together and play together. They're going to come out ripping and roaring.
I like the Grizzlies over 45.5 wins, and I think you can play them to win their division at 3-1.
Warriors Over 43.5 Wins
Jim Turvey: The Warriors won 46 games last year, and based on true talent, were indeed a 46-win team.
I don't see them getting worse. They obviously lost Klay Thompson and Chris Paul in the offseason, but I really like the offseason they had.
De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Buddy Hield are all guys you can slot into a lot of different teams and see them do really well.
Melton being next to Curry is really intriguing to me. I think he can cover up a lot of what Curry hands off on the defensive end. And Hield, as you know, provides some of that shooting that's going out the door with Thompson.
I think that their offseason has quietly been really strong, and that's before we even get to the potential of them adding Lauri Markkanen.
Not every book is hanging this number, and a lot of books are holding off based on the potential of a Markkanen addition. But I like this number even if they don't get him.
Pistons Over 22.5 Wins
Matt Moore: To me, this is an absolutely terrific buy-low spot. It does not get lower than when you lose the most games in a row in NBA history.
If you watch the back half of last year, Cade Cunningham really turned a corner. There was efficiency, and there was real impact. He started to look like an actual engine of an offense.
They also added actual NBA players this offseason. Malik Beasley was terribly cast as a perimeter shut-down defender with the Bucks, but he's a perfectly competent two-guard who can hit shots. He's a good shooter with good athleticism.
Tobias Harris was obviously a letdown in Philly, but he's been in the league forever. He's going to get you points, rebounds, and he's going to understand how to space the floor. It's perfectly competent.
Paul Reed is a very competent backup center that I like more than the other 1,700 centers they had.
Combine it with J.B. Bickerstaff, and I love this fit. He's obviously had some issues in the playoffs but is a great regular-season fit and has his teams playing great defense. He develops players individually and takes steps forward.
I really like the Pistons over 22.5 wins.
