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, Colin Ward-Henninger and Jasmyn Wimbish, CBS Sports NBA insider Bill Reiter and CBS Sports HQ analysts Avery Johnson and Ashley Nicole Moss.
NBA predictions: Eastern Conference standings
Botkin Herbert Johnson Maloney Moss Quinn Reiter Ward-Henninger Wimbish No. 1 Celtics Celtics Celtics Celtics Celtics Knicks Celtics Celtics Celtics No. 2 Knicks Cavaliers Knicks Cavaliers Knicks Celtics Knicks Knicks Knicks No. 3 76ers 76ers 76ers Knicks 76ers 76ers 76ers 76ers Cavaliers No. 4 Cavaliers Knicks Bucks 76ers Magic Cavaliers Bucks Bucks Bucks No. 5 Bucks Bucks Pacers Bucks Bucks Pacers Cavaliers Cavaliers 76ers No. 6 Magic Magic Cavaliers Pacers Cavaliers Bucks Pacers Pacers Magic No. 7 Pacers Pacers Magic Magic Pacers Magic Magic Magic Pacers No. 8 Heat Heat Heat Heat Heat Heat Heat Heat Heat No. 9 Hawks Hawks Pistons Hawks Nets Raptors Bulls Bulls Hawks No. 10 Hornets Raptors Hawks Bulls Bulls Hawks Hawks Hawks Raptors No. 11 Bulls Pistons Raptors Raptors Hawks Hornets Raptors Pistons Pistons No. 12 Raptors Hornets Bulls Hornets Hornets Bulls Hornets Raptors Hornets No. 13 Pistons Bulls Hornets Pistons Raptors Pistons Pistons Nets Bulls No. 14 Wizards Nets Nets Nets Pistons Nets Wizards Hornets Nets No. 15 Nets Wizards Wizards Wizards Wizards Wizards Nets Wizards 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 standings
Botkin Herbert Johnson Maloney Moss Quinn Reiter Ward-Henninger Wimbish No. 1 Thunder Thunder Thunder Thunder Thunder Thunder Thunder Nuggets Thunder No. 2 Mavericks Wolves Mavericks Wolves Wolves Mavericks Nuggets Mavericks Nuggets No. 3 Wolves Suns Wolves Nuggets Mavericks Grizzlies Grizzlies Thunder Mavericks No. 4 Suns Nuggets Suns Suns Nuggets Nuggets Wolves Wolves Wolves No. 5 Grizzlies Grizzlies Nuggets Mavericks Grizzlies Wolves Pelicans Pelicans Suns No. 6 Nuggets Mavericks Rockets Pelicans Suns Pelicans Mavericks Suns Grizzlies No. 7 Warriors Warriors Pelicans Grizzlies Kings Suns Suns Grizzlies Pelicans No. 8 Kings Pelicans Warriors Rockets Lakers Kings Kings Warriors Kings No. 9 Pelicans Rockets Lakers Kings Rockets Rockets Warriors Kings Warriors No. 10 Rockets Kings Grizzlies Warriors Warriors Lakers Rockets Lakers Rockets No. 11 Lakers Lakers Spurs Lakers Clippers Warriors Lakers Rockets Lakers No. 12 Spurs Clippers Kings Clippers Pelicans Spurs Spurs Clippers Spurs No. 13 Clippers Spurs Jazz Jazz Spurs Clippers Clippers Spurs Clippers No. 14 Jazz Jazz Clippers Spurs Jazz Jazz Jazz Jazz Jazz No. 15 Blazers 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 nine of us, we have six different choices for who will finish third.
NBA title predictions
So that’s five out of nine 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 (seven) 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 odds
With 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
