The 2024-25 NBA season tips off on Tuesday with the Boston Celtics hosting the New York Knicks at TD Garden Arena. It’s a fitting way to start the new season, as it begins in the same spot where the finals culminated in June.
Will the Celtics repeat as NBA Champions this season? Now is a good time to consider any long-term bets you want for the 2024-25 NBA season—in addition to the standard gamelines. We’re highlighting five bets not to miss during the opening week of the NBA season in this weekly NBA Betting Preview.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors
Wednesday, October 23
7:30 PM ET
Spread: Cleveland —5.5
Win: Cleveland —230; Toronto +190
Total: 220.5
Toronto starts their season against the Cleveland Cavaliers this Wednesday, who they beat just once last year. The Raptors’ 2023-24 season was relegated to a rebuild and that meant letting go of some big talent like Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby as management set their sights on the next generation of Raptors.
With that sacrificial season behind them, the Raptors can continue to move forward and see how a new group of core players will mesh on the court. Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes signed five-year contracts and should complement the rising star Canadian, RJ Barrett. Raptors fans will be eager to see how this trio plays out, assuming Barnes and Quickley can stay healthy.
The first test for those young Raptors will against a Cavaliers team that struggled mightily last season with injuries. Despite that, they managed to reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Cavs made minimal roster changes with the exception of a new head coach (Kenny Atkinson), thanks to some key contract extensions.
Most Improved Player
RJ Barrett (TOR) +4000
RJ Barrett has shown tremendous potential since making the move from the New York Knicks to the Toronto Raptors mid-way through the 2023-24 season. Confined to a 3-and-D role with the playoff-contending Knicks, he struggled to flourish during his five-season tenure there. Moving to the Raptors has given him more freedom, and the change is palpable.
Throughout five seasons with the Knicks, Barrett’s points-per-game averaged 17.9. That immediately shot up to 21.8 PPG in his first partial season with the Raptors. Barrett’s 3-point percentage saw an immediate improvement too, going from 33.1% in the first half of 2023-24 to 39.2% in the latter half with the Raptors.
Teammates Quickley and Barnes have shown good chemistry with Barrett, and that has led to Barrett’s assists going from 2.4 per game with the Knicks in the 2023-24 season to 4.1 with the Raptors.
One of the best things with Barrett as a betting prospect is that he’s still flying under the radar because of how bad the Raptors were last season. He’s not at the top of the betting board for the Most Improved Player wager; he’s +4000, which is great value for this promising young star who’s reinventing himself with a new team.
NBA Regular Season Win Totals
The start of a new season means fresh new win totals for all of the teams in the NBA. There are three lines (options) for the win total bet. Each line has a different total and different odds—which dictate payout—assigned to the “Over” and “Under.” For example, the defending champion Boston Celtics have the following three win totals:
– 58.5
– 55.5
– 61.5
You need to decide if you think they’ll win more than 58.5 games/55.5 games/61.5 games or fewer. Select “Over” or “Under” for the total you want, and it’ll be automatically added to your virtual bet slip.
Win totals are only available at the start of the season, so lock yours down now. You can find them under “NBA Regular Season Wins.”
NBA Champion
There’s no better time to bet on the next NBA Champion than at the start of a new season. Because there’s minimal data to go on, the odds are best at this time of year. Even the defending champion Boston Celtics have some value at +325 to repeat in 2025.
The NBA Champion futures will continue to be available throughout the season, but the odds will shift as the contenders become more obvious. Fortunately, your bet is locked in with the odds offered at the time it’s taken.
The frontrunners for the 2024-25 season are the Boston Celtics (+325), followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder at +550. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder are coming off of a strong season, winning their division and making it to the Western Conference Semifinals. In the offseason, they traded for Alex Caruso, and picked up Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. Unfortunately for them, Hartenstein broke a bone in his hand in the preseason, but that should create an opportunity for the up-and-coming Chet Holmgren.
Bronny James Specials
One of the big headlines this season is Lebron James and his son, Bronny James, playing on the same team—a first in the NBA. The LA Lakers took Bronny in the 2024 NBA Draft following a lot of hype.
While Bronny won’t be fast-tracked to the primary roster—his development will take place with the Lakers’ G-League team—he did get to play in a pre-season game alongside his dad. In 35 minutes, he racked up 17 points, and tallied four rebounds, three steals and an assist.
Fans of the James father-son-duo will enjoy the Bronny James Specials in our sportsbook. Bet on Bronny to score 15+ points in any regular season game (-105), or bet on whether his first point will be a layup (+210), 3-point field goal (+220), or free throw (+550). There are lots of interesting bets in the Bronny James Specials section, so browse them at your leisure. Our sportsbook is loaded with way more NBA bets than what we’ve had time to cover. Go beyond just being a spectator and get engaged in the game. Load up your bet slip with however many picks you want, and get paid when your instincts come through on the court.