NBA Season Tips, Predictions, Outright & MVP Betting Odds

The NBA is back on Tuesday night as last year’s NBA Finalist Boston Celtics are set to kick things off against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Last season’s NBA Champion Golden State Warriors are also back on the court as they play the Lakers later in the night. The action tips off at 12.30 am Dublin/London time Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning.

First, we’re going to preview the two opening night games, and then we’ll take a look at the outright betting for the NBA Championship and the MVP award.

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NBA Season Start – Opening Night Games

Boston Celtics v Philadelphia 76ers

This game should be a cracker with superstar players like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and James Harden all on show. Both teams will be looking to get off to a strong start and show that they are serious contenders for the NBA title this season.

Last season the 76ers and Celtics were two of the very best teams in the Eastern Conference as the Celtics finished the regular season as the #2 seed with the 76ers not far behind as the #4 seed.

The current betting market suggests that the Celtics have the slight upper hand going into this game as Boston are -2.5 point favourites. Despite this, the 76ers look like the smart bet here after a whirlwind off-season in Boston.

The Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was suspended for the entire season after news got out of improper conduct on Udoka’s part. Without the services of the head coach that brought Boston to last year’s NBA Finals this team could struggle early on in the season.

The 76ers can capitalise on this, Philadelphia to win @ 23/20 is the bet here.

Golden State Warriors v LA Lakers

The second game of the night also looks like a great one as Steph Curry and the Warriors take on LeBron James and the Lakers.

This will be the Warriors first game since they lifted the NBA Championship in June. The game tips off at 3.30 am on Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning.

There has been a lot of controversy recently in the Warriors camp after veteran player Draymond Green viciously punched young teammate Jordan Poole after an argument during practice that got out of hand.

Green has stepped away from the team for the time being and his future with the franchise is now in doubt.

LeBron James and the Lakers have had a quiet offseason after what was a very disappointing season last year. It is rare that James-led teams miss the playoffs but last year the Lakers didn’t even come close to looking like a threat for the NBA title.

With all the controversy and media circus surrounding the Warriors they will likely have found preparation for this game difficult.

This gives the Lakers a prime opportunity to upset Golden State and, in the process, show that they can be a serious contender this season.

The LA Lakers to win @ 21/10 look like great value in this spot.

NBA Championship Odds

Golden State Warriors Boosted to 7/1

While the Warriors could start off the season slow due to the loss of a crucial player like Draymond Green they still look like the class of the Western Conference heading into this season.

Stephen Curry is an all-time great who still looks to be at his absolute best after a Finals MVP series against Boston the last time he was on the court.

The Warriors will also be boosted by the return of highly-touted young center James Wiseman. The seven-foot player can bring an added element to Golden State’s offence which they have been missing in recent seasons.

The most impressive thing about this team is that even after winning an NBA Championship last season they still have room for improvement.

The return of Wiseman, the continued development of talented young players like Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga combined with Stephen Curry continuing to play at a superstar level makes the Warriors @ 7/1 a great bet to repeat as NBA champions.

Milwaukee Bucks Boosted to 8/1

The Bucks are home to one of the most dominant forces to ever step foot in an NBA arena. That man is of course Giannis Antetokounmpo also known as ‘The Greek Freak’.

Giannis is unstoppable when he is at his best and his accolades over the year are proof of that. The Greek native has 2 MVPs to his name while he also led the Bucks to an NBA title in 2021.

Last season they were defeated by the Boston Celtics in the playoffs in an epic encounter that went down to the seventh and final game of the series.

If Milwaukee’s second best player Khris Middleton had been healthy then they probably would have beat Boston and ended up in the Finals themselves.

The team this year is better than last season’s version after a few off-season moves which improved squad depth. With Giannis back to his best, Khris Middleton healthy and better role players the Bucks look like a great bet at 8/1 to contend for the NBA title.

NBA Season Start – MVP Odds

Luka Doncic @ 4/1

The NBA MVP award favourite going into this season is Luka Doncic at odds of 4/1. Doncic is an incredible player and perhaps the most fun to watch in the league today.

Dallas look to have put a better supporting cast around the Slovenian star this season which should give Luka the chance to show the basketball world just how dominant he can be.

The loss of Jalen Brunson in the off-season should mean that Luka will have his hands on the ball even more than previous seasons. This is expected to lead to better season stat totals which are a big part of determining the league MVP at the end of the year.

Giannis Antetokounmpo @ 6/1

Giannis is always going to be one of the favourites for this award given how dominant he is on the court. The Bucks are built around Giannis which means that everything is set up for him to put up big stats and have a massive impact on their games.

Giannis should be extra motivated this year too after his team failed to defend their 2021 NBA title in the 2022 playoffs. There’s every chance that Giannis is the best player in the NBA this year and odds of 6/1 are hard to pass up.

Nikola Jokic @ 11/1

Nikola Jokic is the reigning back-to-back MVP after becoming one of the very best players in the world in recent years. The big man puts on a show every time he steps on the court with his incredible range of passes that you rarely see from someone his size.

Jokic really has all the skills and physicality of a center but with the dribbling and passing abilities of a point guard. This season he is seeking to join NBA legends, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird by winning a third consecutive MVP award.

Jokic has shown that he has what it takes to be crowned the NBA’s MVP the last two seasons so odds of 11/1 look very tempting here.

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