The NBA season is finally tipping off Tuesday with an unusual tripleheader, but if you’re looking at the early action, there’s one team already making waves, and it’s not even the defending champs. We’re talking about LeBron James and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers, who have opened as the biggest title liability in the league, even at +850 odds. Seriously, the betting world is already going wild for this squad.
The Knicks’ Banner Night and LeBron’s Eastern Conference Comeback
Tuesday night is going to be electric, especially in New York City. The Knicks are finally raising their championship banner, their first since the 1972-73 campaign, before they host LeBron and the Sixers. This 7 PM ET game on NBC from Madison Square Garden? Tickets are some of the most expensive in NBA regular-season history. Vegas clearly sees the home team having an edge, with the Knicks set as -4.5 favorites via DraftKings. They’re already taking a massive 67% of the handle and 69% of the wagers ATS, while the total of 232.5 is seeing similar leans to the Under. Nationally though, all eyes are on LeBron. This is his first game back in the Eastern Conference since 2018, when his Cleveland team got swept by Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and the Golden State Warriors in the Finals. His original plan was to go play for the Knicks, but that whole idea went out the window when they won it all. So, once the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown, his “young friend” Tyrese Maxey was able to help lure him to Philly, forming the league’s latest super-team alongside Joel Embiid and rising young VJ Edgecombe.
Philly’s Massive Title Liability and the Shifting Odds
While the Thunder and Spurs are actually co-favorites to win the NBA title at BetMGM at +260, it’s the 76ers that are blowing everyone else out of the water in terms of betting action. Even at +850 for the title, Philly is pulling in an insane 37.6% of the handle at the book and 30.9% of the bets. To put that in perspective, no other team in the entire league is even at 6%! That’s an unprecedented level of early confidence from the bettors. Meanwhile, the defending champion Knicks, who were +700 to repeat right after last year’s Finals, are now at +1000. They’re only seeing 5.2% of the handle and 5.7% of the bets for a repeat title. It’s a crazy shift, especially considering they entered last postseason at +2200, the longest title odds by an eventual winner. For opening night, if you’re feeling a little risky, a FanDuel same-game parlay for the Sixers to cover an alt +10.5 and LeBron James to score 15+ points is sitting at +117.
This Tuesday isn’t just opening night; it’s a huge statement from Vegas and the early bettors. The Sixers with LeBron are clearly the team everyone’s watching, and it’ll be fascinating to see if they live up to that insane early betting confidence or if the Knicks can kick off their title defense by shutting them down. Get ready, because the NBA is back!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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