New Orleans Pelicans (1-0) at Charlotte Hornets (1-0)
The Pelicans kicked off the new season with an impressive display against the Nets in the 130-108 result. Zion made an immediate impact after an injury-riddled 21/22 as he finished with 25 pts. Ingram led the scoring with 28 pts and McCollum added 21 pts as well. They also finished strong as a team in the second half with 72 pts. Their road trip to start the season ends in Charlotte on Saturday so they'll be keen to head home with a perfect 2-0 start to this season. Especially after last season's 1-12 record from their first 13 games.
Charlotte also had a nice start to the season with a 129-102 thrashing over the Spurs. Without LaMelo Ball on the court, Terry Rozier was the key man with 24 pts and 6 assists. Hayward added 20 pts in support and Richards was dominant off the bench with 19 pts / 10 boards. So if this turns into a shootout with the Pelicans, the Hornets should be very confident in their ability to score 120+ pts. However, they will be missing LaMelo Ball for another game as he nurses an ankle injury.
Both sides are coming off 120+ pts in their first game of the season and that should continue into this matchup. The Pelicans are now 5-1 against the Over in their last 6 and the Hornets are pretty similar at 5-2.
Stadium Record
Charlotte has won 6 of their last 8 at home. New Orleans holds a 5-1 record in their last 6 at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Hornets won both meetings in March last season by 3 and 22 pts.
Best Bet
Boston Celtics (1-0) at Miami Heat (0-1)
The Celtics proved they'll be one of the teams to beat in the East again with a comfortable 126-117 victory over the 76ers in Boston. Tatum and Brown were both dominant for the Celtics as they combined for 70 pts (35 each). Brogdon excelled in his Celtics debut off the bench with 16 pts and Grant Williams was on fire from three, hitting all 3 attempts. They have a decent record in Miami and with the Heat coming off a home loss against the Bulls, the Celtics offence should be tough to handle.
It wasn't a great start to the season for the Heat as they went down 116-108 in their home opener. They shot the ball well at 46% from the field and 42% from 3. However, turnovers were the problem as they committed 19 as a team. Adebayo was the main culprit with 5 and he struggled with just 12 pts / 5 of 15 from the field. The same can be said for Lowry as he shot just 1 of 12. So the pair will be looking to respond against the Celtics.
In a rematch of the East Conference finals last season, the Celtics look to be in great touch coming into this matchup. Brown and Tatum are coming off 35 pts apiece and should give the Heat trouble after they allowed DeRozan to score 37 on Thursday. Boston has covered in 5 of their last 6 in Miami as well so we'll take them to cover again.
Stadium Record
Miami has lost 4 of their last 5 at home. Boston holds a 5-1 record in their last 6 at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Celtics beat the Heat in the playoffs last year, 4-3.
Best Bet
Denver Nuggets (0-1) at Golden State Warriors (1-0)
The Nuggets were disappointing in their season opener as they lost to the Jazz, 123-102. They produced 21 turnovers in a sloppy display and they struggled from 3, shooting just 5 of 22. However, it's good to see Jamal Murray and Porter Jr. back out on the court after struggling with injuries last season. As a team, they'll need to respond against the defending champs or they could be looking at an 0-2 start to the new season. In terms of injuries, Jokic and Murray are both questionable so that's something to monitor before tip-off.
The defending champs started the season with an impressive win over the Lakers, 123-109. Steph Curry continued his MVP play from the NBA finals last year with 33 pts. Wiggins also added 20 pts and Thompson scored 18 pts in just 20 minutes. The Warriors are limiting minutes for their starters at the moment so that's something to consider in terms of points lines for their older players, like Thompson & Green.
There isn't a lot to like about the Nuggets, especially with questionable tags for Jokic/Murray. They also have a horrible record against the Warriors on the road. With the Warriors covering in 7 of their last 8 at home, they should win this comfortably.
Stadium Record
The Warriors are 14-1 in their last 15 at home. Denver has lost 13 of their last 17 away to Golden State.
Head to Head Record
Golden State beat the Nuggets in the playoffs last season, 4-1.
Best Bet
