Filip Tomic
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The 2020-21 NBA season gets underway on Tuesday, and judging by the two matchups we have in store it promises to be an entertaining opening night.
There are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on in both games, but the season starts in Brooklyn where Kevin Durant hosts his former team, the Golden State Warriors. More than 18 months have passed since Durant’s injury as he finally hit the court in preseason for the team that signed him over a year ago. Nets fans can relax as the early signs all point to Durant being his old pre-injury self, which makes Brooklyn an automatic contender for the Eastern Conference this season.
The Warriors didn’t have much luck with injuries in the offseason as they lost Klay Thompson for the entire year. Even without him though it promises to be a game worthy of opening the season. Be sure to check what our experts are picking on the side and total in our game preview.
The second game of the night features the two Los Angeles teams, as the defending champions Lakers take on their cross-town rivals the Clippers. They are the top two favorites to win the NBA Championship this year and a victory for either will be a serious statement of intent for what could happen the rest of the season. Be sure to check out our game preview to find out who our expert believes will come out on top.
But right now, it’s time to consider the best player prop bets for the opening night. With so many questions surrounding certain players as the season starts, there is often plenty of value to be found in these markets. Here are the two we most like the look for Tuesday.
Steph Curry to score Over 27.5 Points (-110)
As we pointed out earlier, without Klay Thompson much of Golden State’s scoring load falls on the shoulders of two-time MVP Steph Curry, who will have to carry the team’s offense this season.
Curry himself only played in a handful of games last season due to a hand injury, but as we saw in the pre-season he is healthy and back to 100 percent. He led the team with 29 points in their final pre-season game against the Sacramento Kings, which they won 103-99.
16 in the quarter. 29 on the night.
Steph is in the zone. ☔️ pic.twitter.com/fFOItMFsaG
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 18, 2020
What was particularly impressive was Curry’s performance in the third quarter, when he scored 16 points in a row for the Warriors. I have no doubt Steph will be itching to put together a big performance and get the win on opening night.
Anthony Davis to score Over 26.5 Points (-104)
The L.A. Lakers were a perfect 4-0 in the pre-season and Anthony Davis was the major reason for that. Despite having the shortest off-season for a champion in the history of the NBA, Davis didn’t show any signs of fatigue as he dropped 35 points (including 6/7 on three-pointers) in the 114-113 win over Phoenix.
As currently constructed, I don’t see anyone on the Clippers being able to contain Davis. In the off-season they lost Montrezl Harrell, which means the only center they can throw at Davis is Ivica Zubac, who isn’t exactly the fastest guy out there.
35 points in three quarters. @AntDavis23 is ready for the regular season. pic.twitter.com/LTO4JwQwOW
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 19, 2020
Look for Davis to have a big night here and lead the Lakers in scoring as they beat the Clippers in the Battle of L.A. on Tuesday night.
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