The Miami Heat won the 2021-22 NBA Southeast Division at 53-29, and the pick this page made before that season, Atlanta Hawks +135, lost. Atlanta finished 10 games back at 43-39.
The board before the season, and how it finished
Before the 2021-22 season this page listed Miami as the favorite at -125, with Atlanta the only other team shorter than +1000. Here is that board, as published, against the final standings.
| Team | Odds as published | Final record | Finish in the division |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat | -125 | 53-29 | 1st |
| Atlanta Hawks | +135 | 43-39 | 2nd |
| Charlotte Hornets | +1500 | 43-39 | 3rd |
| Washington Wizards | +2500 | 35-47 | 4th |
| Orlando Magic | +15000 | 22-60 | 5th |
ESPN’s final standings list Miami as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta and Charlotte tied at 43-39 and are listed as the East’s 8th and 10th seeds; Washington (12th) and Orlando (15th) were eliminated.
The pick, graded
The page argued that “the wrong team may be favored here” and took the Hawks at +135 over a Heat team at -125. Miami won the division by 10 games, so the bet lost.
The Southeast now
The division board for the current season is on our NBA futures odds page, with the other five divisions, the conferences and the title. Atlanta won the Southeast in 2025-26 at 46-36, one game ahead of Orlando at 45-37, with Charlotte (44-38), Miami (43-39) and Washington (17-65) behind them.
For the MVP race, see our NBA MVP odds, and for every game we cover, the NBA predictions hub.
Standings: ESPN NBA division standings for 2021-22 and 2025-26, read October 25, 2026, 15:13 UTC. Odds: this page as published before the 2021-22 season.