2023-24 NBA Win Total Predictions and Betting Picks

• Over 45.5 Wins; +170
• Under 45.5 Wins; -230

The Hawks are a good team, but the NBA win total line for the upcoming season looks wrong to me. The team was part of the Play-Ins last year and even reached the playoffs, before losing to Boston in the first round.

The bookies are projecting that Atlanta will be just marginally better than last year. I expect them to win against mediocre teams and remain relevant throughout the season. However, Atlanta lacks the killer instinct that they need to contend for more than just a play-in spot.

Trae Young will have to galvanize the roster and make everyone around him better. He’s one of the NBA’s most talented playmakers, having averaged 26.2 points and 10.4 assists per game in 2022-23. The offense will run through Young again, who’s an excellent facilitator.

The other core players in Atlanta include Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter, and Dejounte Murray. All three scored 12 or more points per game in 2022-23 for Atlanta. The roster also has a few really good role players, including Saddiq Bey and Patty Mills.

The lack of a clear second star is the biggest issue here, on top of Trae Young’s poor defense. These two problems remain unresolved, so I don’t expect major changes.

Ultimately, I think the results in Atlanta for the new season will be similar to 2022-23. The roster looks a little better, but there’s still a lot of work to do. Atlanta with under 45 wins is my NBA win total prediction for 2023-24.