Steve Starr
- BetOnline has the Brooklyn Nets as 1-point road favorites over the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening game of the 2021-22 NBA season
- The Los Angeles Lakers have a 5-point advantage on the spread over the visiting Golden State Warriors
- All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson is expected to return to full practice within the month
The 2021-22 NBA season tips off on Tuesday night with a pair of star-studded matchups between the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets, and the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
These four franchises also happen to have the shortest odds of winning the 2022 NBA championship. Before we preview each game and make our picks, be sure to check out our tips and advice for betting on basketball with the latest NBA Finals futures.
NBA Opening Night
 | Spread | Money Line | Total |
| Brooklyn Nets | -1 (-110) | Ov 239 (-110) | |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +1 (-110) | Un 239 (-110) | |
| Golden State Warriors | +5 (-115) | +175 | 230½ (-110) |
| Los Angeles Lakers | -5 (-105) | -210 | 230½ (-110) |
Bucks vs. Nets
Brooklyn opens the season as 1-point road favorites over the reigning champion Bucks, who handed them a memorable Game 7 overtime loss in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals thanks to Kevin Durant’s oversized shoe touching the three-point line. Kyrie Irving missed most of that series after injuring his ankle and he will remain out-of-the-lineup for the foreseeable future since the Nets won’t let him play or practice with the team until he is vaccinated.
While the Nets are already missing one of their big three, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are ready to run it back after bringing the city its first NBA title in 50 years.
KD hasn't spoken to Kyrie Irving since the Nets' decision, but he's confident that things will work out https://t.co/dWsXz4OYjh
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 15, 2021
Milwaukee enjoyed a 26-10 home record last season while the Nets were only five games over .500 (20-16) on the road. While Durant will be out for revenge on opening night, the Bucks will also have a lot to prove after naysayers were quick to put an asterisk on their championship after postseason injuries hobbled James Harden and other stars across the league.
Take Giannis and the Bucks to win their home opener (-110) with the UNDER on 239 points. The two clubs failed to reach that sky-high total in each of their seven June playoff games, as well as in both of their regular season contests.
Lakers vs Warriors
The Lakers new big three of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis will debut against a Warriors club that is still waiting to reunite their three stars after Klay Thompson missed each of the last two seasons with devastating injuries.
With the All-Star shooting guard expected to be cleared for full practice within the next month, oddsmakers are bullish on Golden State, giving them the second-best odds of winning the Western Conference after Los Angeles. However, Steve Kerr’s club on Opening Night will look much the same as the one that lost 103-100 to the Purple & Gold in last season’s Play-In Game for the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.
Who else is excited to see Klay Thompson alongside Steph Curry again? 🙋🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/slZP4qYqrp
— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) October 15, 2021
Steph Curry was electric in that one, scoring a game-high 37 points in a losing effort. But his Warriors were just 14-22 on the road last season, missing the NBA playoffs for a second straight year.
With the King and company eager to shut everyone up after the Twittersphere roasted their onslaught of over-the-hill free-agent additions, expect the Lakers to cover the five-point spread (-105) handily. We also like the UNDER on 230.5 (-110) as Los Angeles prides itself as a defensive-club and the Warriors have a lack of scoring options aside from Steph.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
