The NBA is BACK, ladies and gentlemen. The newest superteam will host the Golden State Warriors in Brooklyn, and then the Lakers and Clippers will renew their rivalry in Los Angeles in what will be referred to all night as the Montrezl Harrell revenge game.
Let’s get right to it and break down some of my favorite bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for these contests.
Place your NBA bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Big Trey Payday
Opt-in and if a player hits a 3-pointer in the last minute of the fourth quarter in tonight’s Brooklyn vs. Golden State game or tonight’s LAC vs. LAL game, you get an entry to an exclusive $100K contest on 12/28! See the DraftKings Big Trey Payday page for more details!
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball Millionaire lineups here: NBA $2.5M Tip Off Millionaire [$1M to 1st!]
Golden State Warriors vs. Brooklyn Nets
Warriors +7.5 (-110)
Brooklyn is the overwhelmingly public side on Tuesday, and the sharps seem aligned with the public, moving the line two points to -7.5. I see this as too much in a game which ultimately should be all about rust. The three featured attractions — Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving — have hardly played any basketball over the past calendar year. Does this mean they can’t be great? Of course not. All three looked like themselves in the preseason, but when that ball is tipped for an actual game you can be sure it will take a little bit of time to get in rhythm.
The Warriors have only lost on opening night three times since they drafted Curry in 2009, and failed to cover this spread just twice, though last year’s opening-night shellacking at the hands of the Clippers was probably their worst showing in said games. I quite like this Warriors team, even without Klay Thompson and Draymond Green; Andrew Wiggins looks gigantic, exciting rookie James Wiseman will be deployed, and Steve Kerr can’t stop raving about Kelly Oubre’s defense.
This one should be close, and even perhaps a bit underwhelming from an offensive perspective. I like the Warriors’ new additions to play some defense and some of their finds from last year (like Eric Paschall) to be solid contributors.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat:
Joe Harris over 11.5 points (-121)
Joe Harris has hit this over the last 14 times we’ve seen him play, dating back to the pre-bubble days in March. Yes, Irving and Durant will have all of the ball here and launch plenty, but they will garner almost all of the attention from Kerr’s defense, and both are plus passers who should get the ball in Harris’ hands for a healthy dose of looks. We’ve learned from every superteam that wing shooters are particularly integral (why do you think Danny Green has a job?) so I don’t think Harris’ role will take that large of a hit.
Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app here to place bets on your smartphone!
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers:
Los Angeles Clippers +3.5 (-114)
For whatever reason, it seems as if the Clippers really care about looking good against these Lakers when the spotlight is on the city of Los Angeles. On opening night last year and Christmas Day, they pretty comfortably beat the Lakers, and on the bubble’s opening night this summer, they covered the spread in a razor-close two-point loss. Getting three and a half here is a pretty great deal; the Clippers won’t have Marcus Morris, and reigning sixth man of the year Montrezl Harrell is now on the other sideline, but Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Lou Williams will still have something to say about this one. The Clippers feel great about their offseason, picking up Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum and Luke Kennard, and they’re right to. I think all three play a role in pushing LeBron and Co.
Place your NBA bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball Millionaire lineups here: NBA $2.5M Tip Off Millionaire [$1M to 1st!].
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DK Sportsbook app.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA) or TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789. 21+ (18+ NH). NJ/PA/WV/NH/IN/NH/IA/CO/IL/TN only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jetsfan196) and I may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.