The anticipated return of Kevin Durant on Tuesday night in the NBA season opener is helping establish the Brooklyn Nets as sizable favorites.
The line for Tuesday’s game at Barclays Center against the Golden State Warriors opened as a 6-point edge for the Nets. But after Durant’s strong showings in preseason games gave bettors a feel for the brand of basketball Brooklyn would play with Durant — primarily as a 4 or 5 in a small-ball lineup — and head coach Steve Nash, the margin has ballooned to 7.5 points at FanDuel and BetMGM.
Several intriguing prop bets are tied to the game, including FanDuel’s combined production lines pegging Durant’s points plus assists total at 29.5 (-110) and Kyrie Irving’s points plus assists at 32.5.
The night game in the NBA Opening Night doubleheader at Staples Center between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers will feature a banner-raising ceremony for the Lakers, who are 3.5-point favorites after also opening lower (-2) at most books.
The Clippers’ moneyline is +135 and Golden State to win outright is +240.
–Field Level Media
