NBA Southeast Division Odds: The Heat Is On, But Hawks and Magic Ready to Compete

The NBA preseason is wrapping up, and the start of the regular season is only days away!

Let's take a look at the Southeast Division and see what the outlook is for Miami, Atlanta, Orlando, Charlotte, and Washington.

Here are the Southeast Division odds, per the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook:

Miami Heat

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: -165

Regular Season Wins Total: 44.5

To say the offseason didn't go according to plan for the Miami Heat would be an understatement. From the moment their season ended with a Game 5 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, the focus was on improving the roster to have the talent necessary to get over the final hurdle. That focus wound up centering on trading for Damian Lillard, who made it known his preferred destination was Miami.

Fast forward four months, and Lillard is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. During that time, two of Miami's key players from their postseason run, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively. The result is a Heat roster that doesn't appear to have accomplished their goal of improving and may have actually taken a step back.

While that will impact the Heat's chances to return to the NBA Finals, it still leaves them as favorites to win the Southeast. All of the attributes that have been a core part of the Heat's recent success -- namely culture and coaching -- remain in place. This is still a roster that features an experienced and talented trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro, with veteran depth provided by Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love.

They also greatly benefit from playing in a weak division. No team in the Southeast finished inside the top six in the East last season. Three of the five teams missed the playoffs, and only Miami finished the season with a winning percentage above .500.

The Heat remain the standard in this division, and any serious challenge to their place on top of the Southeast will likely require one of the other four teams to take the next step.

Atlanta Hawks

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +200

Regular Season Wins Total: 42.5

Of the challengers, the Atlanta Hawks have the best chance to surpass Miami and win the division. They finished last season at 41-41, just three wins behind the Heat, and had a decent showing against the Boston Celtics in the playoffs, losing in six games.

The Hawks made a couple of moves this offseason, singing Dejounte Murray to an extension, trading for Patrick Mills, and signing Wesley Matthews, while moving on from John Collins (traded to Utah). From a roster perspective, the talent is there for this team to challenge the Heat for the division. In Trae Young and Murray, the Hawks have one of the more talented backcourts in the league. Together with Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, and De'Andre Hunter, Atlanta has the depth to compete.

Another reason to believe Atlanta can dethrone the Heat is coaching. Quin Snyder was hired 21 games into last season. The opportunity to go through an entire offseason and preseason should provide Snyder with a better chance to implement changes.

Also working in Hawks' favor is the relative weakness of the Southeast as a whole. The Hawks are essentially in a mini tier of their own -- behind Miami but significantly above the Magic, who are significantly above both the Hornets and Wizards.

If a challenger doesn't arise from the bottom three teams, it provides Atlanta with another out to winning the division -- the Heat slightly regress, and the Hawks stay the same.

Orlando Magic

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +750

Regular Season Wins Total: 37.5

The Orlando Magic's rebuild took a step in the right direction last season, recording 34 wins after earning 21 and 22 wins in their previous two seasons. The 34 wins were their most since 2018-19, and with their win total set at 37.5, there is an expectation that they can continue to improve.

Unlike Atlanta, who have a realistic chance to win the division without a significant increase in their level of play, Orlando will need to take the next step to have a chance of surpassing both the Heat and Hawks. With a young roster full of potential, there are reasons to believe they can do so.

If such a jump were to happen, it would likely start with last season's Rookie of the Year, Paolo Banchero, building on his impressive debut campaign. Banchero averaged 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game last season while shooting 47.2% from the field and 29.8% from behind the arc. If Banchero improves on those averages as a sophomore, the Magic will have a star capable of getting them to the top of the division.

Franz Wagner made a similar jump as a sophomore last season and is one of several other young players Orlando has to support Banchero. At +900, the Magic's odds sit well below the Heat's and Hawks' but significantly above the odds for the Hornets and Wizards.

For the first time in a while, Orlando is a team with a realistic shot of making some noise this season.

Charlotte Hornets

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +2800

Regular Season Wins Total: 31.5

The Charlotte Hornets are also a team with youth and potential, but they are a squad that is farther away from contending than the Magic.

This offseason the Hornets signed LaMelo Ball to a five-year extension worth up to $260 million, cementing him as the cornerstone of their franchise for the foreseeable future. When healthy, Ball is an All-Star and a difference-maker. He averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game last season.

The issue is, he hasn't been healthy. In three years in the league, he has averaged 54 games played per season. For this campaign, any chance the Hornets have to contend for the division starts with Ball being available.

Ball will be joined by Brandon Miller, the second overall pick in this year's draft. Miller becoming an impact player as a rookie is critical to the Hornets' path to contending this season. If Miller can make the jump to the pros quickly, Charlotte will have an exciting duo with him and Ball. He would also provide some much-needed cover for the often-injured veteran Gordon Hayward.

Charlotte also re-signed PJ Washington and Miles Bridges (the latter of whom remains suspended from domestic violence charges from last summer and could miss more time beyond that). Terry Rozier -- who averaged 21.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists playing extra minutes with Ball out -- also returns.

Charlotte is likely at least a season away from being a contender for the Southeast. That said, if everything goes right for them, there is enough potential for the Hornets to make some noise this season. To do so, they will need Ball to take the next step, Miller to hit the ground running, and their stars to finally all stay healthy.

Washington Wizards

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +12000

Regular Season Wins Total: 23.5

At the bottom of the division, we find the Washington Wizards, who are set to begin a season without Bradley Beal on their roster for the first time since 2011-12.

Beal's move to the Phoenix Suns marked the end of an era in Washington. This season will mark the start of another.

After a busy offseason, the Wizards enter 2023-24 with a starting lineup centered around Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole. Kuzma was signed to a four-year extension, while Poole was brought in via trade. They are expected to be joined by Tyus Jones, Daniel Gafford, and one of Bilal Coulibaly and Deni Avdija in Washington's starting lineup.

Kuzma is coming off a career-best season where he averaged 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Poole averaged 30.0 minutes per game on the Golden State Warriors a year ago, resulting in per-game averages of 20.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.

Poole could improve on those numbers while operating as the Wizards' primary scoring option after years of sharing the ball with the Warriors' various stars. Even if Poole does, it will be difficult for Washington's overall roster to reach a ceiling high enough to compete for the division.

The Heat have been contenders for years now, Atlanta has been in the mix, and Orlando and Washington are further along in their rebuilds than Washington is. The Wizards are about to take their first steps in what could be a very long rebuild -- success this season is not impossible but is extremely unlikely. They are a long shot for a reason.

Do you think you know which NBA teams will succeed or falter this season? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA division odds market to bet any team's win total with America's Number One Sportsbook.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.