NBA · Opening Week · Wednesday, Oct. 21
Opening night is the one night of the year the sportsbooks are guessing as much as you are. Nobody has real data. Rosters are new, rotations are rumors, and stars are coming back from injuries nobody has seen them play through. Twenty-two teams tip off tonight, including Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard in their first regular-season games since the 2025 playoffs. Here’s the card. Lines are DraftKings as of Wednesday morning, and all times are Pacific.
Pacers at Pelicans: Haliburton Is Back
5:00 PM PT · Pacers -3.5, total 239.5. Haliburton tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals, and Indiana went 19-63 without him. He says he’s 100% with no restrictions, but Rick Carlisle says he’ll watch his minutes. That’s the part bettors miss. A star coming back from an Achilles isn’t going to play 38 minutes on night one. Indiana is also thin around him, with T.J. McConnell and Aaron Nesmith both dealing with hamstring strains.
New Orleans (26-56 last season) has a new coach in Jamahl Mosley. Dejounte Murray missed the last three preseason games with a toe bruise but is expected to go. The total opened at 242.5 and has dropped three points, so the market doesn’t expect a track meet.
Suns at Trail Blazers: Lillard and Morant
7:00 PM PT · Blazers -2.5, total 231.5. Lillard, now 36, missed last season after tearing his Achilles with Milwaukee. He’s fifth all-time in made threes. Portland traded Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis for Ja Morant, who has played just 79 games over the last three seasons. The Blazers went 42-40 last year, and Micah Nori is the new coach.
Phoenix went 45-37 and got swept by Oklahoma City in the first round. Devin Booker averaged 26.1 points and Dillon Brooks put up a career-best 20.2. Portland opened -4.5 and the total opened 235.5. Both have come down: the spread two points, the total four. When a new backcourt gets this much hype and the number still drops, pay attention.
Warriors at Lakers: Curry vs. Luka
7:00 PM PT · ESPN · Lakers -6.5, total 233.5. Stephen Curry rolled his right ankle in Sunday’s open practice. Steve Kerr says he’ll play, but the report still lists him day-to-day. Golden State’s injury list is long: Jimmy Butler (knee), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Moses Moody (knee) are out, and Brandin Podziemski (back) is iffy. The Lakers start the post-LeBron era with Luka Doncic running the show and Austin Reaves coming off his best scoring year. Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero are out, and Collin Sexton is questionable.
The Rest of Tonight’s Card
- Hawks at Magic · 4:00 PM · Magic -2.5, total 234.5
- Bucks at Wizards · 4:00 PM · Wizards -4.5, total 238.5. Washington opened -6.5.
- Timberwolves at Heat · 4:30 PM · Heat -1.5, total 240.5
- Hornets at Nets · 4:30 PM · Nets +1.5, total 219.5. Lowest total on the board, and it’s dropped four points.
- Bulls at Raptors · 4:30 PM · Raptors -10.5, total 237.5. Toronto opened -8.5.
- Jazz at Grizzlies · 5:00 PM · Grizzlies -1.5, total 242.5. Memphis opened as a 2.5-point underdog. That’s a four-point flip.
- Mavericks at Rockets · 5:30 PM · Rockets -9.5, total 230.5. Total is up four.
- Kings at Clippers · 7:30 PM · Clippers -5.5, total 227.5
Opening Week Rules
- Last season’s numbers lie this week. Half these rosters changed. Bet the team on the floor tonight, not the one from last April.
- Watch minutes, not names. Stars returning from long injuries usually play limited minutes early. That hits spreads, totals and player props.
- The final injury report matters. NBA teams update status right up to tip. Check it again before you bet.
- Shop the number. Half a point on a spread or 10 cents of juice adds up over a season. Our Odds board shows DraftKings and FanDuel side by side.
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21+ · Past results do not guarantee future results · 1-800-GAMBLER. Lines and tip times can change.
Sources: NBA.com, Yahoo Sports, Heavy, Yardbarker, Field Level Media, Newsweek, iHeart. Injury status as of Wednesday morning.