New Orleans Pelicans vs. Toronto Raptors
Well, this game lost some of its physical fizzles when Zion Williamson was injured. The Raptors have now moved to -7. Without the explosiveness of Zion, we think this is going to be a tough game for the Pelicans.
The Pelicans are still coming together to learn their roles and styles of their team and teammates, while Nick Nurse and the Raptors have established teamwork and defined their roles.
New Orleans has plenty of potential, but this is a tough opening match up traveling to Toronto. We lean the Raptors here but this is definitely the undercard to the main event.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
This is the main event of the evening! Are the Lakers really at the Clippers?? The Lakers should have an edge with the fan support and while it is unlike football in which it doesn’t affect your ability to call plays, I wonder how it’ll affect the Clippers.
Nevertheless, this is the marquee opening night matchup with the stars and spotlight in LA. The battle for LA begins here and this should be an exciting subplot all season. The Clippers will be without Paul George, but if any team has the depth to absorb players being out it is the well-constructed Clippers.
The line opened at Clippers -1 but with Paul George being out, the line has moved +2.5. The Clippers might be able to give more than people expect and if the line keeps moving in their favor, it will be very hard to pass up a bet on the Clippers!
Regardless of what side you choose to take, what NBA pick you choose to make, this is going to be a fascinating matchup that will set the tone for what should be an exciting NBA season.
WEDNESDAY, OCT 23rd
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers
07:30 PM EDT
Great opening night matchup as these Atlantic Division rivals will face off. Al Horford has switched teams and will no longer be able to shut down Joel Embiid for the Celtics. Enes Kanter will have a long night trying to defend those two.
Ben Simmons will try to show off his new-found shooting ability and the Celtics will try to prove that Kemba Walker is a better leader and better fit for their team than Kyrie Irving. It looks like the oddsmakers have been pretty generous here with the Celtics getting 6 points.
That has the Sixers three points better on a neutral floor… I don’t know if I see that. If money keeps coming in on the Sixers the Boston side could be even more attractive, but right now I’m looking at Boston +6 as a nice spot for a sharp NBA pick.
Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers
10:00 PM EDT
A playoff rematch in one of the closest series last year. The Nuggets will try to avenge last year’s heartbreaking game 7 loss, and they come in the game looking balanced and focused.
The Trail Blazers have had some turnover, replacing Enes Kanter with Hassan Whiteside and it will be interesting to see how Whiteside fits in, and how he does defend Nikola Jokic on the opening night.
The Trail Blazers are traditionally good at home and the Nuggets are traditionally not good on the road. I’m going to be looking at the Blazers here if the line stays at 3.5.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Houston Rockets
08:00 PM EDT
Wow! The NBA is not messing around with this opening week! In a matchup of two high-flying teams that love to score and shoot the three, this one should be a shootout on TNT. The Bucks and Rockets both suffered disappointing playoff losses.
Rockets made huge changes while the Bucks made minor adjustments. This will be the first night for Harden and Westbrook to show and prove why they are good teammates. The Bucks should be trying to make a statement that they are a force against anyone.
Right now the line is Rockets -2.5. The Rockets are so good on their home court, it’s going to be tough not to lay the points in this one.
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors
10:30 PM EDT
This will be our first chance to see the new-look Warriors. How will D’Angelo Russell fit into the offense? How will the Warriors address their new-found deficiency at small forward? Can Draymond Green convince Willie Cauley-Stein to play defense?
All these questions will begin to be answered on Thursday night, when the Warriors open the Chase Center, their new arena in San Francisco, in a marquee matchup against the new-look Clippers.
Right now the game look ahead is a pick-em, but this line could be affected by how well or poorly the Clippers perform Tuesday night. As of right now, this is a game of many unknowns and looks to be one that we might want to enjoy as fans rather than bettors.
Friday, October 25
Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics
Now we’re to the point where I have no look-ahead lines but I expect the Celtics to be 6-7 point favorites in this one. How Toronto looks night in and night out without Leonard is obviously a question, and depending on the result against the Sixers we’ll see how the bookmakers value Boston.
Regardless, this should be a fun game because both teams have a lot of depth and play a team style of basketball. Both teams have an opportunity to show off to the fans their new look and this game should be interesting to see if the Raptors can keep pace or if they will start to regress without a star.
Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers
08:00 PM CT
The Jazz have received a lot of fanfare for adding Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic, so now is the time to see if they are true contenders in the west. Traveling to Los Angeles is not an easy task and Rudy Gobert will have his hands full guarding Anthony Davis.
The Jazz match up pretty well against the bigger Lakers and this should be a great test of their ability to run with the top teams this season. We know the Jazz will defend their home court well and play solid against lesser teams, but let’s find out how they stack up against top talent.
Saturday, October 26th
Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks
03:00 PM CT
Okay, here we go! How will Jimmy Butler fit into the Miami team? Miami has already had problems with Dion Waiters and now this team will be put to the test.
Miami vaulted into the top tier of contenders with the addition of Jimmy Butler, but now Butler has no more excuses or teammates to blame things on. This is his team, and his leadership and his play will decide the fate of the Heat.
Butler should be fired up against a Bucks team that usually does very well at home, but early in the season home court can be less of an advantage with little to no fatigue on these players, and we should get a truer test of these teams ability without the wear and tear of travel giving the home team the superior advantage.
So this is a great opportunity for Miami to show they belong in the top tier of the East.
Sacramento Kings vs. Utah Jazz
7:00 PM CT
If the Kings are going to sneak into the eighth playoff spot these are the type of games they are going to have to win, not be competitive…win! The Jazz traditionally do well at home but as a younger team, the Kings should be able to travel without fatigue and put their best showing regardless of the venue.
The Jazz have an opportunity to knock down young contenders and show that they are at the top of the West. This game has exciting playoff implications and fans around the league should keep their eyes on two teams with high expectations this year.
Sunday, October 27th
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Dallas Mavericks
05:00 PM CT
The slowest day of the week because the NBA doesn’t want to go against the juggernaut that is the NFL, which is wise. The game to watch today will be beginning as the NFL games are winding down, and that’s the Trail Blazers at Mavericks.
The Mavericks made moves adding Kristaps Porzingis, and this is a game that they will have to win if they want to be in the playoff hunt. They will be hosting the Trailblazers, who were a top team last year, but who traditionally struggle on the road.
This is a great opportunity for the Mavericks to show everyone that they should be in the playoff conversation by knocking off the Western Conference finalist from last year at home. Porzingis will help us answer the question if Whiteside is the answer inside because these are the games that the Trailblazers will need him.
That should be a matchup that defines Whiteside’s role and effectiveness as he tries to ingratiate himself onto the Trail Blazers roster, and one that might help us understand which team is more poised for a playoff run this year.