The NBA regular season is underway and teams all across the league are starting to show off.  If LeBron James was meant to be half of the pair that would push the LA Lakers over the LA Clippers, he didn’t get the memo.  The team lost 112-102 in what was an upset, and the squad is having a difficult time finding its footing.  Fortunately, it was just the first game, so maybe it was just nerves.  Going forward, things will get better and two games on tap for TV tonight should help clear the air.

The Boston Celtics are going up against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight on the second day of the regular season and this should be a packed house.  The 76ers were second in first-quarter scoring last year and, even though they lost several key players in the offseason, they are still on track to do well this year.  They should definitely pull down the first quarter lead and the oddsmakers agree – they have an over of 27.5.

That will most likely continue throughout the second quarter, as well.  With the game being played in Philly, the home-court advantage has always favored the 76ers, especially in the first half.  Conversely, Boston has typically had a difficult time in the first two quarters on the road, which gives Philly a clear first-half advantage at -2.5.

Philly has an unstoppable weapon in Joel Embiid, provided he can stay healthy.  Last season, he averaged 27.5 points per game (PPG) – 29.3 against the Celtics.  If he keeps that up, Boston is almost definitely going to fall.

That appears to be the consensus across the board.  The 76ers are favored in almost every category tonight.  Boston isn’t expected to come with a strong, prepared team and it’s going to show.  In the end, Philadelphia is going to win and now sits on the betting charts at -5 to secure the victory.

The only other game to make it to the airwaves tonight will be the matchup between the Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trailblazers.  The Nuggets are ready to open their season in a big way and spent a lot of effort in the offseason looking for some serious talent to add to a strong roster.  Looking at the lineup – Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Paul Millsap and others – they could have found the perfect group to lead the way.

This game will most likely be driven by who can produce the better defense.  Murray is expected to help the Nuggets in that regard and Harris should be there, as well.  However, the Trail Blazers aren’t exactly a weak team and have an impressive roster, as well.  They are undoubtedly one of the best teams going into the regular season and will show everyone why tonight.  Coming off a season that saw them average 114.7 PPG, they were the favorite coming into the new year.  The Nuggets may have some new talent, but the Trail Blazers have experience.  This is why they’re going to pull off a close win and are favorites at -1.5.