NBA predictions: Expert picks for Finals winner, regular-season standings with Celtics, Thunder as favorites
The NBA -- which sees its 2024-25 season tip off Tuesday night -- used to be the most predictable of all major sports leagues in terms of which teams had a legitimate shot to contend for, or certainly win, the title. Not anymore. In the Western Conference, you could blindly throw a dart and have a pretty good chance at landing on at least a fringe contender under the right circumstances.
No fewer than 12 of the 15 West teams expect to make the playoffs and at least six have every right to believe they can win the conference. Four really good teams are going to be relegated to the play-in tournament. Two good teams are going to end up in the lottery.
The East is a bit clearer in terms of playoff teams, though the seeding is pretty much just as wide open 1-8. Reasonable minds can disagree on how this will play out, and if there's one thing we have plenty of on our CBS Sports NBA team, it's reasonable minds!
And so, here are our predictions for how the complete regular-season standings will shake out in both conferences as well as our Finals and championship predictions (you can find our awards picks here). The picks were made by CBSSports.com NBA writers Brad Botkin, James Herbert, Sam Quinn and Colin Ward-Henninger, CBS Sports NBA insider Bill Reiter and CBS Sports HQ analysts Avery Johnson and Ashley Nicole Moss.
NBA predictions: Eastern Conference standingsBotkinHerbertJohnsonMaloneyMossQuinnReiterWard-Henninger
No. 1
Celtics
Celtics
Celtics
Celtics
Celtics
Knicks
Celtics
Celtics
No. 2
Knicks
Cavaliers
Knicks
Cavaliers
Knicks
Celtics
Knicks
Knicks
No. 3
Cavaliers
76ers
76ers
Knicks
76ers
76ers
76ers
76ers
No. 4
Bucks
Knicks
Bucks
76ers
Magic
Cavaliers
Bucks
Bucks
No. 5
76ers
Bucks
Pacers
Bucks
Bucks
Pacers
Cavaliers
Cavaliers
No. 6
Magic
Magic
Cavaliers
Pacers
Cavaliers
Bucks
Pacers
Pacers
No. 7
Pacers
Pacers
Magic
Magic
Pacers
Magic
Magic
Magic
No. 8
Heat
Heat
Heat
Heat
Heat
Heat
Heat
Heat
No. 9
Hawks
Hawks
Pistons
Hawks
Nets
Raptors
Bulls
Bulls
No. 10
Hornets
Raptors
Hawks
Bulls
Bulls
Hawks
Hawks
Hawks
No. 11
Bulls
Pistons
Raptors
Raptors
Hawks
Hornets
Raptors
Pistons
No. 12
Raptors
Hornets
Bulls
Hornets
Hornets
Bulls
Hornets
Raptors
No. 13
Pistons
Bulls
Hornets
Pistons
Raptors
Pistons
Pistons
Nets
No. 14
Wizards
Nets
Nets
Nets
Pistons
Nets
Wizards
Hornets
No. 15
Nets
Wizards
Wizards
Wizards
Wizards
Wizards
Nets
Wizards
So that's nearly a clean sweep for the reigning champion Celtics to finish as the No. 1 seed in the East (again). The Knicks and 76ers are seen as Boston's biggest threats at the top of the standings, and if there's one thing everyone here can agree on, it's that the Miami Heat are going to be No. 8 in the East.
NBA predictions: Western Conference standingsBotkinHerbertJohnsonMaloneyMossQuinnReiterWard-Henninger
No. 1
Thunder
Thunder
Thunder
Thunder
Thunder
Thunder
Thunder
Nuggets
No. 2
Mavericks
Wolves
Mavericks
Wolves
Wolves
Mavericks
Nuggets
Mavericks
No. 3
Wolves
Suns
Wolves
Nuggets
Mavericks
Grizzlies
Grizzlies
Thunder
No. 4
Suns
Nuggets
Suns
Suns
Nuggets
Nuggets
Wolves
Wolves
No. 5
Grizzlies
Grizzlies
Nuggets
Mavericks
Grizzlies
Wolves
Pelicans
Pelicans
No. 6
Nuggets
Mavericks
Rockets
Pelicans
Suns
Pelicans
Mavericks
Suns
No. 7
Warriors
Warriors
Pelicans
Grizzlies
Kings
Suns
Suns
Grizzlies
No. 8
Kings
Pelicans
Warriors
Rockets
Lakers
Kings
Kings
Warriors
No. 9
Pelicans
Rockets
Lakers
Kings
Rockets
Rockets
Warriors
Kings
No. 10
Rockets
Kings
Grizzlies
Warriors
Warriors
Lakers
Rockets
Lakers
No. 11
Lakers
Lakers
Spurs
Lakers
Clippers
Warriors
Lakers
Rockets
No. 12
Spurs
Clippers
Kings
Clippers
Pelicans
Spurs
Spurs
Clippers
No. 13
Clippers
Spurs
Jazz
Jazz
Spurs
Clippers
Clippers
Spurs
No. 14
Jazz
Jazz
Clippers
Spurs
Jazz
Jazz
Jazz
Jazz
No. 15
Blazers
Blazers
Blazers
Blazers
Blazers
Blazers
Blazers
Blazers
Like the Celtics in the East, nearly everyone here thinks the Thunder will capture the No. 1 seed in the West, just like they did a season ago. But there's much more variance in the West. We have the Nuggets finishing as high as first and as low as sixth. Between the eight of us, we have six different choices for who will finish third.
NBA title predictionsBrad Botkin James Herbert Avery Johnson Jack Maloney Ashley Moss Sam Quinn Bill Reiter Colin Ward-Henninger Finals winner Celtics Celtics Celtics Celtics Knicks Thunder Thunder Nuggets East champ Celtics Celtics Celtics Celtics Knicks Knicks Celtics Celtics West champ Thunder Thunder Mavericks Thunder Thunder Thunder Thunder Nuggets East runner-up 76ers 76ers Knicks Knicks Celtics Celtics Knicks 76ers West runner-up Timberwolves Grizzlies Thunder Timberwolves Mavericks Mavericks Nuggets Mavericks
So that's half of us picking the Celtics to win it all, with the other four votes split between the Thunder, Knicks and Nuggets. We actually have the same amount of experts picking the Thunder to win the West (six) as the Celtics to win the East. But while there is a consensus of the Celtics meeting either the Knicks or 76ers in the Eastern Conference finals, we have five different picks for who will make the Western Conference finals.
2024 NBA championship oddsWith our experts split on who will lift the Larry O'Brien trophy in 2025, what do the betting sites think? The Celtics are the favorites to win it next June and become the first back-to-back NBA champions since the Warriors won in 2017 and 2018. DraftKings lists Boston with +310 odds as the C's open their season on Tuesday night against the Knicks.
The Thunder (+650) have the second-shortest odds to win it all at DraftKings sportsbook, with the Knicks (+800), Nuggets (+950), Timberwolves (+1000), 76ers (+1000) and Mavericks (+1000) not far behind.
NBA predictions: Expert picks for Finals winner, regular-season standings with Celtics, Thunder as favorites
NBA predictions: Expert picks for Finals winner, regular-season standings with Celtics, Thunder as favorites
NBA predictions: Expert picks for Finals winner, regular-season standings with Celtics, Thunder as favorites
NBA predictions: Expert picks for Finals winner, regular-season standings with Celtics, Thunder as favorites
NBA predictions: Expert picks for Finals winner, regular-season standings with Celtics, Thunder as favorites
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