Las Vegas betting odds don’t see the Mavericks winning 40 games

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has released their over/under betting lines for NBA teams this season, and the Dallas Mavericks fall below the 40-win threshold at 39.5 wins.

That’s simplifying it a bit, to be fair — betting odds aren’t a prediction, but rather, an attempt to find the exact halfway point for what bettors will gamble. However, betting agencies are very good at this, and make money by duping delusional fans all the time.

There’s a strong case for the Mavericks winning 40 or more wins, but there’s a good one for them falling below it, too. There are questions about the team’s offense outside of Dirk Nowitzki, about injury concerns for two starters (Deron and Bogut), as well as questions about how good the defense can actually be. I’ve been predicting 42 or 43 wins for the Mavericks all season. I prefer predicting a range I see them falling in, though — from 35 to 45, as I spot them on the high side thanks to Rick Carlisle’s magical ability to get the most out of his teams.

Dallas has improved from last year, where they had a 38.5 win/loss over/under. Odds for other teams in the division are as follows:

• Spurs: 56.5
• Grizzlies: 43.5
• Rockets: 41.5
• Pelicans: 36.5