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The NBA season is back – and in a big way. Both Conference Champions will tip off on opening night, with the Celtics hosting the Philadelphia 76ers and the defending champs welcoming the Lakers to Chase Center. Best bets of Opening Night below.
| TIME | GAME | FAV / TOT | PICKS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30pm | PHI @ BOS | BOS -3 / 216 | PHI +3 |
| 10:30pm | LAL @ GSW | GSW -7 / 224.5 | LAL +7 u224.5 |
Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics
PHI +3 (-110) – Boston is without backup center Robert Williams, leaving veteran big Al Horford’s hands full with Joel Embiid. The Celtics acquired Blake Griffin in the off-season, but he’ll be no match for Embiid. Philly added PJ Tucker, who has history playing with James Harden & will boost Philly’s defense significantly. Harden seems to be in great shape & if he returns to form, Philly will be a favorite to come out of the East.
Bonus Prop: Al Horford Over 9.5 Points (-108) – As mentioned previously, no Robert Williams tonight should mean a full workload for Horford. Not in love with the match-up, but 10 points could be easy work for Al.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Golden State Warriors
LAL +7 (-115) – Let’s get one thing clear – I’m a huge Warriors fan. You’re not going to see me bet against the defending champs often, but Westbrook, LeBron & AD are all expected to play tonight and Warriors coach Steve Kerr has stated that Warriors starters are not ready for full workloads of 30+ mpg. I expect to see a heavy dosage of 2nd year role players Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. In reality, the Lakers have more to prove, regardless of how meaningful 1 of 82 games is. Too many points.
Under 224.5 (-110) – Limited minutes for the Warriors.. first game with a new coach for LA. 224.5 is too high. Value play.
Bonus Props: LeBron James Over 5.5 Assists (-152) – Not the most appealing price, but there is a reason for that. LeBron will come out passive aggressive, looking to make plays for his teammates. Likely matched up with Wiggins and Draymond matching up with AD, LeBron should look to take advantage of his match-up early & often. Draymond is one of the best help defenders the game has ever seen, but this will present plenty of LeBron to AD opportunities
