It’s the most wonderful time of the year for sports bettors.
All four of the major North American sports leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB) are now in season as the NBA celebrates its opening night on Tuesday with a slate of two high-profile games.
The Denver Nuggets will hoist their first championship banner to the rafters on Tuesday night at Ball Arena and receive their championship rings with LeBron James, who is entering his 20th NBA season, and his Lakers looking on with envy. Denver swept the Lakers in the conference finals last year, so L.A. will be looking forward to the chance to spoil the celebration on Tuesday night.
Heading into the season, the Milwaukee Bucks have the shortest odds to win the NBA Championship at +350. They’re followed closely by the Boston Celtics (+400) and the Nuggets (+450).
Denver Nuggets to win NBA Championship
+450
Opening night
The NBA season will tip off with two great matchups on Tuesday night. The defending NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, will host the Los Angeles Lakers in the early game, while the Golden State Warriors will host the Phoenix Suns in the late matchup. Both of these marquee matchups shouldn’t disappoint.
A few betting trends to consider heading into opening night:
- The Nuggets are 5-0 straight-up in their past five games with the Lakers.
- Denver is 12-1 SU in its last 13 home games.
- Phoenix is 4-1 straight-up in its past five games against Golden State.
- The over is 5-1 in the past six meetings between the Suns and Warriors.
These opening-night lines have been up at bet365 since Sept. 11. The Nuggets opened as 4.5-point favourites, but that line has moved to Nuggets -5.5 over the last several weeks. The total has also ticked up from 227.5 points to 228.5. As for the Warriors, they opened as 1-point favourites, but that line has moved to Golden State -2.5 after news broke early Tuesday morning that Suns guard Bradley Beal will likely be held out of the season opener due to a lingering back injury. The total opened at 231 points and has since been bet up to 233 points.
| Home Team |  | | Away Team | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Nuggets | -5.5 | o228.5 | Los Angeles Lakers | 7:30 PM |
| Golden State Warriors | -2.5 | o233 | Phoenix Suns | 10:00 PM |
All odds courtesy of 
Division previews
Canada Sports Betting previewed each division from a betting perspective leading up to the start of the regular season and it’s not too late to punch in your season-long prop bets.
- NBA Atlantic Division Betting Preview
- NBA Central Division Betting Preview
- NBA Southeast Division Betting Preview
- NBA Northwest Division Betting Preview
- NBA Pacific Division Betting Preview
- NBA Southwest Division Betting Preview
Raptors stories
It’s very difficult to handicap the Raptors this season. Will they trade Pascal Siakam or O.G. Anunoby at some point during the season and rebuild the team? Or will they keep the core intact and make a push for the playoffs? With a new head coach and so many variables, there’s a lot to consider before throwing down a futures bet on the Raps.
- Oddsmakers Bearish On Toronto Raptors’ Futures Markets
- With Nick Nurse Out, Where Do The Toronto Raptors Go From Here?
- Toronto Raptors Best Season-Long Bets: Scottie Barnes In Position To Make The Jump
Toronto Raptors over 36.5 wins
-115
Other noteworthy NBA betting stories
Take a look back at some of the developments that shaped the futures odds market this offseason.
