Philadelphia 76ers (+130) @ Boston Celtics (-154)
The Eastern Conference Champions host the 76ers to open up the 2022-23 season.
Joel Embiid will start a new campaign to carry the 76ers to their first Eastern Conference title since 2001. He balled out last year, but for the fourth time in five years, he couldn’t make it out of the second round of the playoffs. This season, he has some new help with PJ Tucker, Montrezl Harrell, and Danuel House.
No team had a rougher off-season than the Celtics; Boston has one of the wildest controversies with their head coach. As a result, there are a lot of questions about this team; such an issue can really shake things up. They will have to prove they can still compete at the same level. For that reason, bettors should rock with a solid Philly team.
Philadelphia +3 (+105)
The one great thing about betting early in the season is that certain props are ridiculously low. Given some of the changes in Philly, Embiid will have even more opportunities for rebounds; he should clean up tonight.
Joel Embiid Over 11.5 Rebounds (+104)
LA Lakers (+300) @ Golden State Warriors (-245)
These Warriors are 2 – 1 on Ring Night, and they are hoping to improve that record today against Lebron and the Lakers.
It’s been years since the Warriors opened the season with a fully healthy roster, but their whole team is ready to go.
Conversely, the Lakers are limping into the season, as their three key players, Lebron, Westbrook, and David, are day to day to start the season.
Some may make jokes about Westbrook being a “key player,” but there’s a strong chance he has a bounce-back season. So take a flyer: Russell Westbrook Most Improved Player (+12000).
Betting the first few games of the season is a polarizing experience. Some people love it, but I personally hate it. It’s a fresh slate, and I hate relying on data that is months old. Regardless, given I’m betting on empirical data. The Lakers are banged up, and the Warriors will be hyped up. The Warriors should run over the Lakers.
Kerr said starters are only playing 30 minutes, but who’s to say what happens if the game is tight? Game 1 is just as important as game 82.
Golden State -7 (-110)
Jordan Poole’s prop is adjusted on the basis that the starters will see limited minutes. However, he is always the number 1 guy off the bench, and seeing that he should make more progress this season, he should nail his prop.
Jordan Poole Over 18.5 Points (-102)
