The NBA is BACK!<\/p>\n
Opening night begins with two terrific Western Conference matchups on NBC, as the Golden State Warriors hit the road to play the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets take on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.<\/p>\n
There are a ton of storylines at play, as OKC will raise its championship banner in front of Kevin Durant and the Rockets while the Warriors and Lakers continue their rivalry \u2013 this time without LeBron James (back).\u00a0<\/p>\n
James is set to miss the start of the season, leading to oddsmakers setting Luka Doncic and the Lakers as underdogs at home on opening night.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Thunder are heavily favored at home as they look to defend their title and put together another 60-win season in the process.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This season, I\u2019m trying a new challenge in my NBA Best Bets column (Peter\u2019s Points) here at Sports Illustrated. The goal? To place 600 NBA bets (I nearly got there last season) before the end of the NBA Finals.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve already gotten things started with a bunch of futures (you can read about all of them here<\/a>) for all the major award markets and some NBA Finals bets, win totals and playoff projections.\u00a0<\/p>\n On Tuesday, there are two props and one side that I\u2019m eyeing to get the NBA season off to a strong start.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive into the picks, and best of luck to everyone betting on the NBA in the 2025-26 season!<\/p>\n Find Peter Dewey’s\u00a0NBA betting record here<\/a>\u00a0(futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on \u00a0BetStamp here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.<\/a><\/p>\n Golden State Warriors Moneyline (-130) vs. Los Angeles Lakers<\/p>\n There are a lot of interesting trends to dive into in this game, but with James out, I think the Warriors are the clear bet to make regardless of the odds on opening night.<\/p>\n The Lakers\u2019 depth is going to be something to watch all season long, as they have questionable offensive options after Doncic, Austin Reaves and James, and lack elite defenders (unless Marcus Smart turns back the clock) on the perimeter.<\/p>\n Los Angeles has won just one season opener in the James era, and now it doesn\u2019t have the All-NBA forward in action on Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt and others are going to be asked to step up in the rotation in this game, and I think Golden State is actually the deeper team.\u00a0<\/p>\n The addition of Al Horford gives the Warriors a massive upgrade to their center spot, especially since they should be able to space the floor much better around Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. Speaking of trends, Golden State was 23-7 with Butler in the fold last season, and it\u2019s aiming to prove that was anything but a fluke.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Warriors were a much better all-around team once Butler joined the franchise, improving their free-throw rate while posting the best defensive rating in the NBA after the All-Star break.<\/p>\n Doncic is going to be a lot for the Warriors defense to handle \u2013 especially with the home crowd behind him \u2013 but the Lakers have moved to underdogs in this game without James for a reason.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019ll take Golden State to win outright on opening night.\u00a0<\/p>\n Luka Doncic OVER 8.5 Assists (+103)<\/p>\n Last season, Doncic averaged 7.7 assists per game (down from his career average of 8.2), but I think he\u2019s in line for a big showing on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n The Lakers lack playmaking without James in the lineup, and Doncic should be a lot more comfortable in this offense now that he\u2019s had an offseason with the franchise under his belt.<\/p>\n Doncic and Reaves should both spend a ton of time on the ball in this game, and the addition of Deandre Ayton gives Doncic a true pick-and-roll threat that he can rack up easy assists with. Remember, Doncic made Jaxson Hayes look like a serviceable center for months during the regular season.\u00a0<\/p>\n Luka put up 9.8 assists per game in the 2023-24 season, and I think he finds his way back closer to that number this season. With the Lakers in desperate need of someone to create shots for their secondary scorers, Doncic should flirt with double-digit assists on Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kevin Durant OVER 3.5 Assists (-153)<\/p>\n Kevin Durant averaged 4.2 assists per game for the Phoenix Suns last season and averages 4.4 per game for his career, making him an intriguing bet in this season opener against a tough OKC defense.<\/p>\n I wouldn\u2019t be shocked if the Thunder try to force Durant off the ball in this game, but without Fred VanVleet, someone has to create shots for the Thunder offense. There has been a ton of buzz around Amen Thompson, but Durant is the most-polished offensive player on this team by far.<\/p>\n He should initiate a ton of action on Tuesday, and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s crazy to expect him to be right around four to five assists per game again this season.<\/p>\n OKC only allowed 24.6 assists per game (fourth fewest in the NBA) last season, but this number is too low for Durant given the lack of playmaking options for Houston. <\/p>\n Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.<\/p>\n If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.<\/p>\n Unlock $200 in bonus bets \u2014 all without a\u00a0promo code for DraftKings<\/a>. Sign up and place a $5 bet. If you win, you will receive\u00a0$300 in bonus bets instantly +3 months of NBA League Pass.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The NBA is BACK! 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