The NBA is right around the corner; you won’t want to miss the first night of action. Two of the best matchups occurred on day one, between four teams that all view themselves as title contenders. Opening night on the 22nd of October will be a day to circle on your calendar!
With the return of NBA basketball means the return of NBA betting. We’ll walk you through the best early lines for the games and even a few future bets you should look at. If you’re interested in tossing a little money on any of these lines, look no further than DraftKings. They have some of the best NBA lines, with all the games and fantastic prop bets. Right now, they are running out a great promotion to celebrate the return of the NBA. If you don’t have an account at DraftKings already, you can earn $200 in bonus bets from them! All you need to do is create an account, deposit $10 into your new account, and place a $5 bet. After that, you should see your bonus money hit your account! It’s that simple! Just our link below or promo code "BV20"!
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This might be one of the best games of the month. The reigning champions take on the Knicks in Boston to start the season. After an active off-season for the Knicks, they're all-in with a star-studded roster. Acquiring Mikal Bridges and Karl Anthony Towns this off-season to complement their elite roster.
In terms of raw talent, the Knicks are right up there with the Celtics, who may have the best roster in the entire league. Though the Celtics are coming into the season with a notable injury, Kristaps Porzingis will not be available for this game, which may change the flow of this Celtics roster. Regardless, this game is set to be a powder keg of excitement we can’t wait to see!
No disrespect against the champs, but this Knicks team could be a problem for them. They are built around two of the best wing defenders in the league and added a versatile center. Especially without Porzingis, the size of the Knicks could cause issues. However, it will all come down to shooting, as the Celtics lived and died by the three-ball. At plus money, the Knicks are still our favorite in this matchup.
With their size and athleticism, the Knicks should stand up well against the Celtics. Even with Tatum and Brown, the matchup with Bridges and Anunoby should be enough to slow them down. There is some risk of the guard breaking free and putting up points, but they aren’t nearly the scoring threat the Celtics wings are. If the Knicks can keep the pace under control, and the Celtics don’t go wild from three-point range, the under feels solid at 113.5.
Following a stellar year that ended in disappointment last year, the Timberwolves are looking to make it out of the West this year. Falling short to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, this roster has the talent to go all the way. They will look a little different this year, though. Trading away long-term big man Karl Anthony Towns weeks before the start of the season. This will be the first time in nine years the former #1 pick center won’t be on the team. On the other end of the court, we may witness history. As LeBron James strives to be the first player to play next to his son in the NBA. The Lakers are looking to bounce back after a rough postseason. This game won’t be a walk in the park for the Timberwolves as a healthy, rested Lebron James and Anthony Davis can hang with just about any team in the league. However this one goes, there is a good chance you'll want to watch it!
This Timberwolves roster has something to prove now. After such an electric year, they’ll be looking to take it full force into the Lakers. With Anthony Edwards now the clear-cut leader of the team, they have teeth. The Lakers roster remains similar to last year, which is disappointing. Even though the team got an amazingly healthy year out of LeBron and AD, they still didn’t challenge anyone in the West. Rolling out a similar roster with the addition of rookie Dalton Knecht doesn’t inspire much confidence in this team. We think Minnesota will take this one.
Since it’s the first game, it’s hard to know exactly how both teams will look. We’re going to hedge on the side of causation, though, and stick with the under. There is a fair chance there will be a little rust on both sides.
This might be one of our favorite future bets out there. OKC to win the NBA midseason tournament feels highly doable. They have an elite roster and made several moves to fix holes in the off-season. We could see them going full force into the tournament this year to make their mark. Getting +750 odds on one of the best teams in the league feels like a no-brainer.
Zach Edey has the best odds to win the Rookie of the Year. Though even at +450, that’s not a bad thing. Edey was dominant at Purdue and has already shown early signs of being an elite player in the preseason. He may have fallen to the perfect team as well in Memphis. The combo of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr next to Edey could make him an elite rookie. Edey looks like a legit NBA player with deadly instinct in the pick and roll along with one of the softest touches around the rim. He could put up some impressive stats this year and help that team win a ton of games!
An alternative to Edey could be Stephon Castle on San Antonio. The 6’6 PG from UConn has looked great, and next to Wemby, he could explode. His odds are a little more juicy at +1000.
This is a long shot, but it’s not insane. Sharpe has been a promising player since he was drafted three years ago. Entering his 3rd season in Portland, the team has meager expectations. Sharpe has also struggled with injuries throughout his early career, but he has potential. He could easily fall into a role on Portland that could turn him into a 20+ point-a-game scorer. With his athleticism and shooting improvements year over year, he could be a solid candidate for Most Improved Player, even though the odds don’t think so at the moment.