Pinnacle +4½ -105 ET365 +4½ -110 Sportsinteraction +4½ -110 888Sport +4½ -110

Posted at 11:30 AM EST. Odds subject to change.

L.A. Clippers +4½ over Phoenix

Intuit Dome – Los Angeles, CA

10:00 PM EST. The Clippers finally have their own building! You don’t say! We would have never known this, as this prevailing storyline heading into opening night in the City of Angels is the absence of Kawhi Leonard from the starting line-up and Paul George jumping ship on the Clips in the offseason. Many analysts will follow this up by breaking down the X’s and O’s to warn that James Harden will be taxed and asked to shoulder the burden of the load in spearheading LA’s offensive efforts. How can such a team compete with a regrouped and revitalized Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal? Well we are not in the prediction business; we are in the value business and this price strongly suggests that this game is not primed to be a simple victory for Phoenix.

We have written before that injuries and key roster subtractions are factored into the price. With the case of Kawhi Leonard not making it out for the season opener, this is by no means breaking news, it was in fact a well-established possibility. He did not attend training camp, as the goal was to get “The Klaw” ready for the start of the NBA season. You will also hear that the Suns went and grabbed Mike Budenholzer in the offseason to oversee floor operations and that will only further enhance things for Phoenix, as Budenholzer has a decorated track record of success everywhere that he has gone previously.

Oddsmakers knew Leonard would not be playing here. They also factored in the new coaching hire and they are also acutely aware of the impact of PG-13 moving on from Los Angeles. Regardless of all of the variables, the oddsmakers initially priced this game with Phoenix as a 1½-point choice but the market has swarmed to the Suns who looked like easy money spotting 1½ points at the time. Subsequently, the Clippers have been faded ever since. We remind everyone that the bookmakers are especially sharp on the first full night of action in The League, as the NBA is next to the NFL as the most wagered on sport. The opening figure in this market is a sign of distrust in the Suns even with all the factors in play that seemingly tilt the game in the Suns’ favor. Upset possibility is real here but we’ll take the Clip Joint with the points.

Sherwood

Take advantage of BET365's early NBA Basketball payout offer! 

For straight bets, if the team you back to win goes 20 Points ahead at any stage during the game, BET365 will pay out your bet in full regardless of whether the opposition comes back to win the game.

For parlays and Same Game Parlays, if a team you have backed goes 17 Points ahead, this selection will be marked as won within My Bets, with the remaining selections left to run.

Here is a wager we were paid out early on that would eventually lose. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------