The highly anticipated first day of the NBA season is finally here. With the Celtics hosting the 76ers and the Warriors hosting the Thunder, we have two marquee matchups that are sure to entertain. After last year’s testy playoff series, this Celtics vs 76ers matchup will provide a great gauge as to how these two teams have progressed. Similarly, there is no love lost between the Warriors and Thunder, especially since the departure of Kevin Durant. Whilst the rivalry has become one-sided with the Warriors dominance, these tend to be very hard-fought affairs. After a 4-month layoff, let’s take a look at where the value lies here.
Boston Celtics
Buoyed by the return of star players Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, the Celtics head into this season as the favourite in the Eastern Conference. A starting five of Irving, Jaylen Brown, Hayward, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford features impressive levels of shooting and defensive versatility. Add in a bench unit featuring players such as Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, Marcus Morris and Aussie Aron Baynes, and you have a deep and talented roster capable of withstanding injuries. Led by Head Coach Brad Stevens, many punters are projecting the Celtics to have the most wins in the NBA this season. They’ll face their first tough test of the season here as they host the 76ers in a rematch of last year’s Conference Semi-Finals.
Philadelphia 76ers
Led by stars Joel Embiid and Aussie phenom Ben Simmons, big things are expected of the 76ers this season. They enjoyed a phenomenal second half to last season, cruising to the 3rd seed in the East and a comfortable first-round playoff series victory over the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, they were no match for the Celtics in the second round, losing the series 4-1. The unit of Simmons, Redick, Covington, Saric and Embiid proved to be one of the best in the NBA last season and should see big minutes again in 2018/19. Whilst I expect another strong season from the 76ers this year, coming up against a tough defence and raucous Boston crowd doesn’t make for an easy start.
Prediction: Celtics -5
Even without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, the Celtics proved far too strong for the 76ers in last season’s playoff series. I believe they have a slight advantage with their starting line-up and an even bigger advantage with their bench. Buoyed by their raucous home crowd and a strong Brad Stephens game plan, I expect the Celtics to simply out-talent the Sixers here en route to victory. At only 5 points, I believe this line to be 2-3 points too short. As such, I’ve got no qualms about backing the Celtics here and expect them to win this one by about 10.
Additional Tip: Under 208.5
With two strong defensive teams, I believe that a 208.5 total represents some good value on the under. Joel Embiid is a force at the rim for the Sixers, whilst both the
starting and bench units for the Celtics have very strong defensive versatility. With a shortened pre-season, look for some teams to struggle early offensively as they look to establish a solid rhythm. I’d expect a final points total of around 200 in this one and have strong confidence in the under.
Golden State Warriors
The back-to-back defending champions will have their ring ceremony here at Oracle as they play host to the rival Thunder. All-stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green will carry the load here, with third-year Center Damian Jones rounding out the starting five. Veterans Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala also combine nicely with youngsters Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell to create a balanced unit capable of maintaining the big leads that the starters build. I’m predicting another championship season for the Warriors, one that should start off on the right track here at home. Buoyed by the ring ceremony and the best home-court advantage in the NBA, I’m expecting another statement victory from the Warriors here.
Oklahoma City Thunder
It’s been an eventful past 6 months for the Oklahoma City Thunder. After managing the #4 seed and home-court in the 2018 playoffs, the Thunder were upset by the Utah Jazz in a feisty first-round series. This led to the releasing of Forward Carmelo Anthony, whilst Paul George opted to sign a new 4-year deal in an unexpected turn of events.
Expectations have been high for the Thunder heading into this season, however they face the biggest challenge in the NBA here on the road in Oakland. With Shooting Guard Andre Roberson out and star Point Guard Russell Westbrook questionable, this could be an even more difficult test for OKC to negotiate. They haven’t had much success in Oracle Arena recently, a trend which I expect to continue here.
Warriors -6 1st Half
Especially with a questionable Westbrook, I believe the Warriors are the significantly better team here. Oracle Arena is an absolute fortress and is a venue where many teams find themselves out of the game in only the first quarter. Whilst a full game line of 11.5 points provides some backdoor cover opportunities, I expect the Warriors to come out red hot in this one. A line of only 6 points is really just two possessions for this team and I can definitely see a double-digit half-time lead for Golden State here.
For those looking to place a multi today, it’s hard to look past the Warriors/Celtics duo at the moneyline. Paying a generous $1.61, I predict both of these teams to get up relatively comfortably. Both of them have the noticeable talent edge in addition to very strong home-court advantages. In a usually unpredictable NBA, I feel quite confident about the two favourites here.