Pinnacle    +6½ -110     BET365  +6½ -110  Sportsinteraction  +6½ -110  888port  +6½ -110

Posted at 8:00 AM ET. Odds are subject to change

Houston +6½ over OKLAHOMA CITY

Paycom Center - Oklahoma City, OK

7:30 PM ET. Opening night of the NBA season always brings energy, emotion, and overreaction — and this matchup between the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and the revamped Houston Rockets fits that bill perfectly. Oklahoma City will be raising its first-ever championship banner at the Paycom Center, celebrating a historic run that cemented their place atop the league. But with the pomp and ceremony of opening night comes distraction — and that’s where the value lies.

While the Thunder basks in the glory of last season, Houston quietly enters with a chip on its shoulder and a retooled roster headlined by the offseason acquisition of Kevin Durant. The Rockets have legitimate postseason aspirations, but they arrive under the radar, which is exactly where we want a dangerous underdog. Durant brings instant credibility and a go-to scorer to a young, athletic squad that can push pace and exploit any early complacency from the defending champs.

Oddsmakers know the public loves a champion on ring night, and that’s why this line is inflated. The Thunder deserve respect, but laying 7.5 points in an emotional, celebratory spot is asking a lot — especially against a hungry Rockets team eager to make a statement. With OKC potentially caught between nostalgia and pageantry, Houston has every reason to come out swinging.

In a game where motivation tilts one way and market perception the other, the value lies squarely with the visitor. The Rockets have the tools and the spot to keep things tight and possibly threaten to spoil the festivities outright. Grab the points.

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For straight bets, if the team you back to win goes 5 runs 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.

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

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