The 2023-24 NBA regular season will tip-off on Tuesday, Oct. 24, with a doubleheader on TNT. The first game will be a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Nuggets swept the Lakers in four games en route to winning their first NBA title in franchise history. Finally, the doubleheader wraps up at 10 p.m. ET with the new-look Phoenix Suns taking on the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center.
Below we’ll look at the latest NBA Opening Night odds for these two games and provide a breakdown on all four teams.
NBA Opening Night Schedule & Betting Odds
NBA odds used for these best bets are from Thursday, Aug. 31, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Moneyline: Lakers (+170) @ Nuggets (-205)
- Spread: Lakers (+5) @ Nuggets (-5)
- Over/Under: Over 227 (-110) / Under 227 (-110)
To start the 2023-24 NBA season, we will get a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Nuggets. The Nuggets will receive their championship rings and raise their banner.
Denver swept Los Angeles in four games as they received tremendous performances from Nikola Jokic, who won Western Conference Finals MVP, and Jamal Murray. Jokic averaged a triple-double consisting of 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists per game against the Lakers.
Meanwhile, Murray had 32.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. The dynamic point guard also posted a 50/40/90 shooting split (52.7 FG%, 40.5 3PT%, 95.0 FT%), which shows how locked in he was.
The Nuggets were 31-20-1 against the spread at home (including the postseason) and an impressive 10-1 straight up at Ball Arena in the NBA playoffs.
- Can the Nuggets repeat? Check out our 2024 NBA Finals odds.
As for the Lakers, they will try to enact revenge and ruin the Nuggets’ home opener. Los Angeles improved in the offseason, adding Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, and Jalen Hood-Schifino.
The Lakers also re-signed Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura. With all those players intact, plus LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers will be a tough out every night.
In the Western Conference Finals, James came close to averaging a triple-double with 27.8 points, 10 assists, and 9.5 rebounds per game. Even though Los Angeles got swept, Davis had a solid series with 26.8 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game, while Reaves averaged 21.8 points per game on 54.9% shooting and 56% from three-point range.
The Lakers were 23-25-1 ATS on the road last season (including the NBA playoffs).
Phoenix Suns @ Golden State Warriors
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 10 p.m. ET
- Moneyline: Suns (-102) @ Warriors (-118)
- Spread: Suns +1 (-110) @ Warriors -1 (-110)
- Over/Under: Over 230.5 (-110) / Under 230.5 (-110)
The new-look Suns will take on the Warriors at Chase Center to wrap up Opening Night in the Association. It’s not shocking to see a one-point spread for this game as Phoenix revamped its roster in the offseason.
The Suns traded future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul in a shocking three-team deal involving the Pacers and Wizards. Phoenix received Bradley Beal in return to form a new “Big Three” with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
However, Paul didn’t stay with the Wizards for long as he was swapped for Warriors two guard Jordan Poole. Golden State hopes that Paul can stay healthy and lead the second unit.
Last season in Phoenix, Paul was a shell of himself, averaging a career-low 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. That being said, if Paul can duplicate those numbers off the bench this season, it will give the Warriors a boost.
- Read more about what Paul brings to the table in our NBA Sixth Man of the Year odds.
It’s hard to pick a winner in this game since we haven’t seen these two teams on the floor yet. But we know that both teams can score a ton of points, especially when you have Durant, Booker, Beal, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins all on the floor.
It will be fun to see how Beal plays alongside Booker and Durant, who shined in last year’s NBA playoffs.