NBA Opening Week Betting Picks

NBA betting is back after an off-season filled with talk about who can beat the Bay Area Super Team known as the Golden State Warriors. Rightly so the Warriors are the center of attention, for good reasons and bad, all summer, after Kevin Durant fled Oklahoma for Oakland.

Golden State is the story of the year, more than the defending NBA champions who slayed the Drought Dragon for the city of Cleveland. More than Dwyane Wade leaving the Miami Heat after 13 seasons for a chance to play in his home town. More than the incredible spike in player salaries this past summer.

But nothing is assured in sports. The NBA is no different. Twenty-nine other teams will be gunning for the W every night. Here are my NBA opening week betting picks. Happy hunting!

NBA Opening Week Betting Picks

Can Cleveland beat Toronto in Canada on Friday, Oct. 28? How will Golden State fair in the Big Easy against an improved New Orleans team on Friday? Who wins on Saturday when New Orleans travels to San Antonio to battle the mighty Spurs? Keep reading for more NBA Picks of the Week!

Cleveland at Toronto

• When:  Friday, Oct. 28 at 7:00 pm ET
• Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
• TV: ESPN

Analysis: The defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers battle the New York Knicks on Tuesday, Oct. 25 before taking a couple of days off and battling Toronto on Friday, Oct. 28. Cleveland should be the absolute best team in the Eastern Conference this season.

It's going to be interesting to see if the Cavaliers come out swinging or if they still have a hangover from last season's NBA Championship Parade. I think that Cleveland might still have a slight hangover in this game. The match up isn't as favorable to the Cavs as many might think.

Toronto's guards are almost as good as Cleveland's Kyrie Irving while the Raptors are going to be fired up for some payback after the Cavs destroyed Toronto 113 to 87 the last time that these 2 teams faced off against each other in late May.

I like Toronto.

Pick: Toronto

Golden State at New Orleans

• When:  Friday, Oct. 28 at 9:30 pm ET
• Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
• TV: ESPN

Analysis: New Orleans Pelicans' head coach Alvin Gentry spent a full season learning Golden State's run and gun with great defense system while serving as an associate head coach to Steve Kerr. Gentry has employed the system at New Orleans.

What it means is that if the Pelicans are going to beat Golden State on Oct. 28, they'll do it by playing the way that Golden State plays. Yeah…that probably won't happen. I mean, the only way to beat Golden State is to do the opposite of what they do, have a strong inside game, to force the Warriors to play a different style to beat you.

New Orleans will try and keep up with Steph, KD, KT and Draymond. I don't think they have any shot at doing so.

Pick: Golden State

New Orleans at San Antonio

• When:  Saturday, Oct. 29 at 8:00 pm ET
• Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
• TV: NBA TV

Analysis:  After having to take on Golden State at home this Friday, the Pelicans board a plane and battle San Antonio the next day, Saturday, Oct. 29. Not fair, you say?  Not fair at all. But that's what happens in the NBA where certain teams, think Cleveland, San Antonio and Golden State, are treated with more respect than lowly New Orleans.

Do the Pelicans have any shot of beating San Antonio on Saturday?  They don't. The Spurs have arguably the best inside game in the NBA with Pau Gasol at center, LaMarcus Aldridge at power forward and Kawhi Leonard at small forward.

San Antonio is good enough to upset Golden State for the Western Conference title. The Spurs should have no trouble beating New Orleans at home.

Pick: San Antonio