2020 NBA Atlantic Division Predictions, Odds and Win Totals

• The Atlantic Division is arguably the most competitive in the NBA
• Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia and Brooklyn all harbor ambitions of deep playoff runs
• Get the complete preseason odds, preview and predictions below

The Atlantic Division is wide open. The Toronto Raptors have come out on top in six of the last seven seasons, but they are far from favorites in 2020-21 with the Sixers, Nets and Celtics all looking very strong. Toronto is fourth favorites in the latest NBA Divisional odds, sitting behind the aforementioned trio.

A case can be made for any of the four to win the division. It’s only the Knicks who are set to be uncompetitive despite the appointment of Tom Thibodeau.

Beyond the hiring of Thibodeau, it was a busy offseason. The Nets get their two stars back, the Sixers ditched Brett Brown, the Raptors lost veterans and the Celtics created the biggest traded player exception in NBA history as Gordon Hayward departed for Charlotte.

2020 Atlantic Division Odds and Win Totals

Odds taken from FanDuel on Dec 17th

Boston Celtics

• 2019-20 record: 48-24
• 2019-20 points per game: 113.7 (9th)
• 2019-20 points allowed per game: 107.3 (2nd)
• 2019-20 offensive rating: 113.3 (4th)
• 2019-20 defensive rating: 107.0 (4th)

The Boston Celtics are coming off yet another Conference Finals loss. Danny Ainge ended up having a busy offseason, negotiating a sign-and-trade for Gordon Hayward and bringing in veteran help in the shape of Tristan Thompson and Jeff Teague. There’s optimism about draft selections Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard – the Celtics’ record with late draft picks has been underwhelming in recent years.

Key Offseason Moves

Losing Hayward lowers the Celtics’ ceiling, and it leaves them much more vulnerable to injuries. With Kemba Walker missing the start of the season, there’s reason to be pessimistic about the Celtics in the opening months of the campaign. The burden, physically and mentally, on Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart is enormous.

Want to know just how good Jayson Tatum is?

ONLY two players in NBA history have posted a season of 23PPG and 40% from 3-point land at 21 or under:

Kevin Durant
Jayson Tatum

Future is bright over in Boston #BleedGreen pic.twitter.com/kn0ELKi0x0

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) December 17, 2020

They are reliant on Tatum and Brown improving further. A breakout from some of their recent draftees would be helpful. Tatum is good enough to carry this team in the regular season if Smart and Brown stay healthy. Walker’s fitness becomes a greater issue in the postseason.

Prediction: 45-27 (2nd)

Brooklyn Nets

• 2019-20 record: 35-37
• 2019-20 points per game: 111.8 (16th)
• 2019-20 points allowed per game: 112.3 (19th)
• 2019-20 offensive rating: 108.9 (22nd)
• 2019-20 defensive rating: 109.5 (9th)

Although it was a season spent waiting for Kevin Durant, the Nets made the playoffs in 2019-20 after firing Kenny Atkinson. Steve Nash has taken over as head coach with a star-studded supporting cast featuring Mike D’Antoni, Ime Udoka and Tiago Splitter. Kyrie Irving and Durant are both healthy for the start of the 2020-21 season – they still have Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and Spencer Dinwiddie as teammates despite rumors of a James Harden trade. Joe Harris re-signed long-term in the offseason.

Key Offseason Moves

The Nets’ ceiling is as high as any team in the league (on the offensive end, anyway). It’s no surprise to see them as one of the title favorites, but there’s a relatively low floor considering the talent on the team. They are not equipped to be anything better than an average defensive team, and chemistry issues are likely.

They will still be a threat in the playoffs, but they look a good bet to fall short of that win total.

Prediction: 40-32 (4th)

Philadelphia 76ers

• 2019-20 record: 43-60
• 2019-20 points per game: 110.7 (20th)
• 2019-20 points allowed per game: 108.4 (6th)
• 2019-20 offensive rating: 111.3 (13th)
• 2019-20 defensive rating: 109.0 (8th)

It was once again all change in Philly as Brett Brown was replaced by Doc Rivers. Daryl Morey was hired to oversee the front office, and Al Horford’s nightmare contract was shipped to Oklahoma City. This was a response to a Sixers team that once again disappointed, suffering a first-round sweep at the hands of the Celtics. The injury to Ben Simmons made it a complete mismatch, but the Sixers were underdogs in the series anyway after a poor regular season.

Doc Rivers was asked about running pick-and-rolls with his two best players (Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons) when one isn’t a threat to pull up off the dribble (Simmons). Does the coach have to make adjustments because of that? Here’s his response: pic.twitter.com/Y3O6LGLlNX

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) December 11, 2020

Horford proved an awful fit alongside Joel Embiid and Simmons. With very limited shooting, there was no space in the halfcourt and offense was frequently stagnant. Morey moved quickly to address that, trading for Danny Green and Seth Curry.

Key Offseason Moves

This is the last chance for Simmons and Embiid to make it work together. The pair have excelled when surrounded by shooting in the past. Embiid’s inevitable load management puts a ceiling on them as a regular season team, but they could be a good bet to hit the over.

Prediction: 44-28 (3rd)

New York Knicks

• 2019-20 record: 21-45
• 2019-20 points per game: 105.8 (29th)
• 2019-20 points allowed per game: 112.3 (18th)
• 2019-20 offensive rating: 106.5 (28th)
• 2019-20 defensive rating: 113.0 (23rd)

The Knicks’ 21-45 record in 2019-20 flattered them. It was a dysfunctional roster, and many of those issues remain in 2020-21. Changes in the front office and to the coaching staff will not fix the Knicks’ lack of shooting (they were 29th in three-point attempts and 27th in three-point percentage last season). The appointment of Thibodeau, and the undoubted talent of Obi Toppin, will have Knicks fans feeling more optimistic about this season, but they are unlikely to be anywhere near the playoff spots.

Key Offseason Moves

RJ Barrett endured a difficult rookie year, largely due to a lack of spacing. New York didn’t address that as some may have hoped, though the shooting of Austin Rivers and Alec Burks should give Barrett more room to operate.

OBI TOPPIN GOT UP 😳 pic.twitter.com/iyydHuOeKR

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 17, 2020

The outlook for the Knicks in 2020-21 is bleak. Focus is ultimately on the development of Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Toppin. After resisting the urge to make a big trade (so far, at least), the Knicks are destined to finish bottom of the division, and possibly the Conference.

Prediction: 19-53 (5th)

Toronto Raptors

• 2019-20 record: 53-19
• 2019-20 points per game: 112.8 (13th)
• 2019-20 points allowed per game: 106.5 (1st)
• 2019-20 offensive rating: 111.1 (14th)
• 2019-20 defensive rating: 105.0 (2nd)

The Raptors keep overachieving. After losing Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, Nick Nurse guided his team to the second-best record in the East and within a win of a return to the Conference Finals. Toronto overcame countless injuries to accumulate wins during the regular season – Nurse’s coaching was masterful and they saw further development from their homegrown core of OG Anunoby, Norm Powell, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet.

Key Offseason Moves

The 42.5 win total is understandable after a difficult offseason. There’s no doubt the Raps got worse, losing Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. Aron Baynes is a solid replacement, and re-signing Chris Boucher was a good move. Toronto’s flaws as a playoff team are apparent, but there’s enough talent to win a lot of regular season games, particularly if there’s further improvement from Anunoby, Powell, Siakam and VanVleet.

Earlier, Nurse told us that Anunoby could play some small-ball 5 with bench units.

OG: "I think me and Pascal are both interchangeable, we both can play all over the floor. So just doing whatever the coach needs, whether it's playing the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) December 13, 2020

Toronto are a good price to win the division – they’re a solid bet to hit the over once again.

Prediction: 48-24 (1st)