At last, the NBA season has arrived, and it will tip off on Tuesday night with a pair of games to whet our appetites for the season ahead. The world champion Oklahoma City Thunder will welcome the Houston Rockets to the Paycom Center, while the Warriors will invade LA to take on the Lakers in the late game.
Let’s review the lines the oddsmakers have on the board and reveal our NBA picks today so we can pump up our bankroll for a season’s worth of sports betting hoops action!
Theme for Today’s Picks
It’s opening night, and I would advise that everyone tread lightly in their NBA picks today. We think we know what these teams are all about, but every roster changes. Those additions and subtractions effectuate varying outcomes from what we may anticipate.
I believe the betting odds will favor the Thunder. After all, they are the world champs, and the Rockets were the second seed in the West last year by a country mile, or more specifically, by a whopping 16 games.
As for the late game, LeBron James is sidelined with sciatica and is expected to miss the first three to four weeks of the season. So, consider all of this when getting down on Tuesday night.
Without further ado, let’s break it all down and start to cash!
Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (-8)
These teams met five times last season, with OKC winning three of those meetings. However, Houston covered in three of those five contests, including the last two, in which the Rockets cashed as a 14-point underdog in a 137-128 loss in March, followed by a 125-111 victory a month later as 5 ½ point home hounds.
This is an ideal opportunity for Houston to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with this season, and they may catch the Thunder a bit flat-footed after winning the title only four months ago. We should also note that the Rockets scored 114.3 points per game last year, which is nearly seven points higher than the average number of points that the Thunder allowed.
This is important because Houston went 37-17-1 against the number and 42-13 overall when it scored more than 107.6 points last season. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the Rockets covered all three games against the Thunder in which they scored over their season average last season.
Although historical trends can be a solid component in evaluating your NBA selections, they are not the be-all and end-all. We don’t know if either of these teams have established any chemistry in the offseason, but if the oddsmakers want to give me a healthy 8-point head start, who am I to say no?
Expert Pick: Rockets +8 (-114) at BetOnline
Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers (+2)
The Lakers won and covered in three of their four meetings with the Warriors, but in their last meeting in April, Golden State invaded LA and claimed a 123-116 win as one-point road dogs. That was a nice way to end the season series, and I believe Steph Curry and the boys will pick up right where they left off.
As you may know, Curry sat out against the Lakers during their last preseason meeting, in which LA secured a 126-116 win, but a week before that, Steph suited up for 15 minutes and deposited 14 points in the Warriors’ 111-103 victory.
Amazingly enough, there will be many square bettors wagering on this game that have no idea LeBron will not be playing, and the oddsmakers know this. Of course, they can’t play it too cute because the sharps have this information, and they don’t want to get buried with wise-guy money.
Last season, the Warriors registered a 37-18 record (67.3%) in games in which they were listed as the moneyline favorite. The line is so slight that we can assume that should the Warriors win this season opener, they will likely cover the number. But laying the 2 points can be the difference between winning and not covering should the Warriors edge the Lakers by a point.
However, there are certain things we have to assume, and this is one of them. Lay it and like it with GSW.
Expert Pick: Warriors -2 (-110) at BetAnything
Open a Sportsbook Account
Getting in the game with an opinion that makes you cash is what it’s all about. The only way to do that is to open an account at one or more of the most trustworthy, reliable, and reputable sportsbooks in the industry, like the several online sportsbooks featured at Bookmakers Review (BMR).
Remember, the lines and odds don’t stay stagnant — they move, so why not review my NBA picks today while the getting’s good? Lock in a line now, and you won’t have to worry about missing out on value. Check out all the best offshore sportsbooks, including BetOnline and BetAnything, to find the sharpest odds available.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
