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Over/Under? Vegas Projected Win Totals Released for 2016-17 Regular Season

By Matthew Medley

Jun 13, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the third quarter in game five of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 13, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the third quarter in game five of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 11, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) dribbles past Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) dribbles past Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Southeast Division

Miami Heat 36.5 wins

Under. This is a bit of a coin-toss in my opinion, but injuries and question marks about the health of the team lead me to believe Miami will underachieve. If Chris Bosh can play at a high level, Miami is a playoff contender, but that’s too much of a gamble to put too much faith into.

The injury to Josh Richardson is devastating to start the season. Hassan Whiteside will prove that he can’t be the number one star on a team with any hopes of contending.

Atlanta Hawks 43.5 wins

Under. Although Paul Millsap, Kent Bazemore, and Dennis Schroder are a great combination, the Dwight Howard signing may prove to be one of the worst offseason moves in 2016. Is it possible for Howard to prove critics wrong?

Of course, but my feeling is the Hawks are in for a rude awakening this season.

Charlotte Hornets 39.5 wins

Under. After an impressive 2015-16, the Hornets lost Lin and Jefferson, who played important roles. Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum are the two remaining stars, but beyond that, the roster leaves much to be desired.

Washington Wizards 42.5 wins

Over. The Wizards have too much talent to barely finish .500. This season should feature a resurgence from John Wall and Bradley Beal, who have some solid pieces around them, including Marcin Gortat, Markieff Morris and Otto Porter Jr.

Although the Wizards won’t be one of the top three teams in the East, I see them finishing with the best record of any team in the Southeast and grabbing the fourth or fifth seed.

Orlando Magic 36.5 wins

Over. This is a bit of a coin toss, but my feeling is that based on the diminishing talent in the Southeast, the Magic will play well within their division.

They won 35 games in 2015-16 and although losing Victor Oladipo could prove costly, the frontcourt rotation of Nikola Vucevic, Serge Ibaka, Aaron Gordon, and Bismack Biyombo will be fun to watch.

Head coach Frank Vogel always seems to get his teams to overachieve and I expect the Magic to be close to .500.