NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Celtics-76ers starts tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live, and then Mike & Scal have the call of the game at 7:30 p.m.
Welcome back, NBA basketball. We've missed you so.
An offseason of superstar musical chairs set the table for what could be one of the most entertaining NBA seasons in recent memory -- one that started strong Tuesday night with two great matchups.
Wednesday brings the season's first full NBA slate, though, and with it a host of opportunities for sports bettors, starting with the Boston Celtics' season opener against the rival Philadelphia 76ers.
On every Celtics game day throughout the 2019-20 season, we'll give you our betting picks for Boston's moneyline, point spread and point total, as well as two more "locks" on the NBA slate.
Let's get started. (All odds provided by WestGate Superbook.)
Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET
Moneyline: The Sixers (-240) are solid home favorites, and with good reason. Philly's depth may be an issue this season, but it won't be in their season opener after an offseason to rest up. I'm siding with the Sixers' loaded starting five in front of a juiced-up Philly crowd.
Point Spread: Give me the Sixers (-5.5) again. The Celtics have had Philly's number in recent years and have won three of the teams' last four matchups at Wells Fargo Arena, so this should be a close game. But it might take time for Kemba Walker and the new-look C's to develop continuity. Boston rallies after a slow first quarter but loses by high single digits.
Point Total: The 212.5 point total is a bit high for Game 1, so I'm taking the UNDER. Joel Embiid should have his way with Boston's frontcourt now that his kryptonite (Al Horford) is his teammate, but the Celtics otherwise are sound defensively. More importantly, there's a lot of rust to shake off: The C's and their opponents have combined for 201 points or fewer in each of the last two season openers.
NBA Locks of the Night
Denver Nuggets (+1) at Portland Trail Blazers: The Nuggets are a legitimate title contender this season thanks to deep, versatile roster. And as fate would have it, they open the season against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last spring. Denver coach Michael Malone recently admitted the Nuggets still have a bad taste in their mouths from that second-round loss. Chalk this up to a "revenge win."
Chicago Bulls (-3.5) at Charlotte Hornets: The Bulls are trending in the right direction, and a young core of Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter Jr. and Wendell Carter Jr. should make them fun to watch. The Hornets are ... not. Even if Terry Rozier comes out of the gate hot, Chicago should cover against this Eastern Conference cellar dweller.
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