Like the first cannonball into a swimming pool with all of its exuberance, the new NBA season drops on Tuesday with stars upon storylines upon stars upon storylines.
The New York Knicks will raise their NBA championship banner and get their gaudy rings on a night 53 years in the making. And once those preliminaries conclude, Jalen Brunson & Co. will open the season against none other than LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers.
NBA Opening Night then shifts to Texas. Victor Wembanyama and the young San Antonio Spurs, who lost to the Knicks in the Finals, host reigning two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The game is a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals, which went the full seven games.
The two games feature the top four favorites to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy this year. The Spurs and Thunder are co-favorites at +270 at DraftKings, while the Knicks and 76ers are co-third choices, at +900.
For Tuesday, New York is a 4.5-point favorite over Philadelphia in the latest NBA betting odds, while San Antonio is a 1.5-point favorite over Oklahoma City.
While NBA's Opening Night is the marquee attraction on Tuesday, there are other sports betting options that include a partial college football schedule. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet at the best sports betting apps, for Tuesday, Oct. 20. All times Eastern.
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NBA best bets, where to watch
76ers at Knicks
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: New York | TV: NBC/Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Under 232.5
Preseason NBA stats should be taken with a big ole bucket of salt. That said, neither of these teams were efficient offensively in their lead-up to the season. The Knicks scored just 103.5 points per 100 possessions in their five preseason games, which ranked 25th in the league. The 76ers were even worse, at 103.0 points (27th). With high-usage players such as Brown and James joining Philadelphia and learning to play with each other, the team won't be a well-oiled offensive machine early in the season. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, says there's a 62.0% chance the teams combine for 232 points or fewer and assigns a moderate B grade to Under 232.5.
Thunder at Spurs
Time: 9:30 p.m. | Location: San Antonio | TV: NBC/Peacock | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Under 230.5 | Expert: Spurs -126 (Matt Severance)
Last season, San Antonio dominated the regular season series against Oklahoma City, winning four of the five matchups. In the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs beat the Thunder in seven. This season, Oklahoma City will have to find a replacement for defensive stopper Lu Dort, who was traded in the offseason in a cost-cutting move. However, "San Antonio is not only back essentially intact after its Finals run but added Tobias Harris," Severance told SportsLine. Meanwhile the SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 68.0% chance the teams combine for 230 points or fewer and gives a moderate B grade to Under 230.5.
College football best bets, where to watch
Middle Tennessee at Florida International
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Miami | TV: CBSSN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Over 46.5 | Expert: Florida International -10 (Sia Nejad)
The Panthers have been excellent defensively all season. They rank ninth in the country in both total defense (266.0 yards per game) and scoring defense (14.7 points per game). That's bad news for a Blue Raiders team that has struggled offensively. Middle Tennessee is 122nd in total offense (321.5) and 103rd in scoring offense (22.8). "MTSU was a winner last week largely due to its passing attack, but that is likely to be stymied by a great FIU defense," Nejad told SportsLine. Meanwhile the SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 72.9% chance the teams combine for 47 points or more and assigns a strong A grade to Over 46.5.
Missouri State at Delaware
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Newark, Del. | TV: ESPNU | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Missouri State +2.5 | Expert: Missouri State +130 (Emory Hunt)
Blue Hens coach Ryan Carty said Saturday that quarterback Nick Minicucci remains "week-to-week" with a lower body issue. Delaware has lost its past three games without him. Meanwhile, Bears quarterback Henry Belin IV, a fifth-year transfer from Duke, is coming off the best game of his career: 28-of-39 passing for 300 yards and two touchdowns against one interception against Kennesaw State. "When you look at how the Missouri State offense played last weekend, it shows you that they have the playmakers on the perimeter to compete," Hunt told SportsLine. The SportsLine Projection Model agrees. It says the Bears have a 50.0% chance to cover and gives a C grade to Missouri State +2.5.
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South Alabama at Marshall
Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Huntington, W.Va. | TV: ESPN2 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Under 66.5 | Expert: Marshall +136 (Emory Hunt)
The Jaguars have not been able to slow down passing offenses all season. They rank 127th in all of college football against the pass (264.8 yards per game allowed). That could spell trouble against a Thundering Herd offense that ranks fourth in the Sun Belt Conference passing the ball (247.8 yards per game). "This game will be about the line of scrimmage, and in my opinion, that's where the Thundering Herd have a bit of an edge against South Alabama," Hunt told SportsLine. Meanwhile, the SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 70.4% chance the teams combine for 66 points or fewer and assigns a strong A grade to Under 66.5.
