The NBA Southeast Division may not be the best division in the league, but it is one that typically plays a big role in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Throughout each year in the NBA, we look at odds for the Southeast and give our thoughts on each team throughout the season to help you make informed NBA predictions all year long.
Southeast Division Betting Odds
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat finished first in the NBA Southeast Division in the 2022-23 season, finishing three games ahead of the Atlanta Hawks. Miami snuck into the playoffs as the eight-seed, but made it all the way to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Denver Nuggets. This year, the Heat are favorites to win the Southeast Division again and they have made the decision to shake things up, sending Kyle Lowry to the Charlotte Hornets and bringing in Terry Rozier. But the health and availability of Jimmy Butler will be the biggest determining factor in where Miami finishes in the standings.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA to start this season. They are no longer near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, but they are still in the mix for the postseason as they should at least be able to land a spot in the play-in tournament in 2024. Paolo Banchero is the star on this roster, but the Wagners and several other contributors have also helped this team to become a threat in the Southeast Division as they duke it out with the Heat.
Atlanta Hawks
This is Quin Snyder’s first full season as the head coach in Atlanta, but things have not gone the way the Hawks had hoped going into the year. So far, the Hawks sit in third place in the Southeast Division. Defense is the weakness of this group, as they are right at the bottom of the Eastern Conference in points allowed this year. Atlanta could still snag a play-in spot, but their chances in the Southeast are not great.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets were simply a disaster this past season, failing to win 30 games and finishing in last place in the NBA Southeast Division. The Hornets should avoid last place in this division this year, but that is only because the Washington Wizards are so embarrassingly bad that it is virtually impossible for a team to be worse than they are. This team has thrown in the towel this season, wasting another year of LaMelo Ball’s ability at the point.
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards blew up their roster in the offseason, shipping Bradley Beal to Phoenix and Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. Tyus Jones and Jordan Poole are the starting guards on this team going forward, and the duo of Poole and Kyle Kuzma will likely put up better numbers on Instagram than they will on the basketball court. The Wizards have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, better than only the Detroit Pistons. That is unlikely to change for the rest of the season.