Philadelphia 76ers (0-0) at Boston Celtics (0-0)
The 76ers begin a new campaign in 2022/23 with a similar squad that lost to the Heat in 6 games in the East semi-finals. The Embiid / Harden combination will look to get stronger with another training camp under their belt. Meanwhile, Maxey should build on what was an impressive 21/22 season for the young point guard. They have brought in some experience with the likes of Harrell and Tucker. Tucker has valuable playoff experience in recent years with the Heat and Bucks. Harrell gives some good bench depth at the C position behind Embiid.
Boston reached the NBA finals last season but ultimately, the Warriors were just too good in the end. The Celtics offseason following the finals defeat wasn't short of stories. Firstly, Jaylen Brown was involved in trade talks for Kevin Durant but those fell through and he'll be out to prove a point in the early stages of 22/23. Meanwhile, Celtics coach Ime Udoka has been suspended for the season. So it'll be interesting to see how this impacts the team. In free agency, they picked up Brogdon in a fantastic deal and he should be a valuable asset off the bench. They also added Blake Griffin, which should help their bench depth while Robert Williams is out with a knee injury.
This seems like a perfect way to start the season as two fierce rivals face off at TD Garden. The general trend in this divisional matchup has been low-scoring affairs and we like it here as well. Overall, the Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings at TD Garden and Philly have a nice Unders trend on the road at 8-3.
Stadium Record
Boston have lost 4 of their last 6 home games. The 76ers have a poor record in Boston with 16 defeats in their last 20 games.
Head to Head Record
The 76ers have won 5 of the last 7 meetings.
Best Bet
Los Angeles Lakers (0-0) at Golden State Warriors (0-0)
The Lakers missed the playoffs and play-in last season and there are plenty of question marks coming into the new season as well. Anthony Davis is already nursing a sore back and LeBron James has a foot issue. Both stars should suit up for the Lakers but the injury bug that plagued them last season is already causing issues. To top it off, Westbrook is questionable with a hamstring and Schroder won't play. They have brought in the experienced Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker should enjoy more minutes in a Lakers jersey. Kendrick Nunn also looks to be injury free after an injury-riddled start to his Lakers career.
The defending champs begin their quest for back-to-back titles at home against the Lakers and they've had an interesting offseason. Poole and Draymond Green came to blows during practice. We know Green is passionate but hitting a teammate isn't a great look. But Poole just signed a 4-year deal and it's well deserved after an impressive breakout season in 21/22. They haven't made too many lineup changes as the likes of Curry, Wiggins and Thompson are back. They have improved their bench with DiVencenzo and Wiseman looked injury free in the preseason.
This is another clash where I like the Under. The Warriors have said they won't play their starters over 30 minutes and the Lakers likely won't either with injury issues surrounding James, Davis and Westbrook. So that should see a battle between each side's bench mainly in the second half.
Stadium Record
The Warriors have dominated at home with 13 wins in their last 14. The Lakers have lost 14 of their last 18 on the road against Golden State.
Head to Head Record
Last season, Golden State won the head to head 3-1.
Best Bet
