Friday’s NBA slate opens with a pair of 0-1 rivals meeting in Boston, as Jalen Brunson and the defending champion New York Knicks face Jayson Tatum and the Celtics at 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video.

Neither team got off to the start they wanted. The Knicks raised their first title banner in more than 50 years Tuesday, then fell 106-100 to LeBron James and the new-look 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Boston’s opener went even worse. Paul George poured in 38 points in his Celtics debut, but Boston blew a 22-point lead and gave up a 23-0 run in a 121-113 loss in Detroit.

Those Pistons are back on the floor Friday night, too, taking on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Heat in Miami. Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves visit the Magic, and the Clippers and Lakers meet in the latest Battle of L.A. at 10 p.m. ET. The night wraps up in Sacramento, where the Trail Blazers take on the Kings.

We break down our best bets for all five games, with odds, predictions, and expert picks for Knicks vs. Celtics, Clippers vs. Lakers, and more on the Oct. 23 NBA card. Basketball season is the perfect time to get into betting, as bet365 offers new users a special promo: Bet $10, get $200 win or lose!

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Knicks vs. Celtics odds

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Knicks vs Celtics best bet

The Knicks won a title last season by grinding teams down, and that formula hasn’t changed much heading into this one. New York’s offense looked rusty on banner night, with Brunson going 6-of-19 from the field and the Knicks finishing with just 21 assists. I don’t expect a full reset two nights later against a Boston team that knows exactly how to guard them.

The Celtics had their own shooting issues in Detroit. Tatum went 6-for-23 and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts, and Boston leaned heavily on George to get hot from deep to build that early cushion. That’s not something I want to bank on happening again on back-to-back nights out.

Yes, the Celtics’ opener soared past that number, but much of it came from a sloppy second half when Boston’s defense fell apart. Back at TD Garden in their home opener, I’d expect a much more locked-in effort on that end.

These teams have also kept things tight lately. Two of their four meetings last season finished well under 222.5, including the Knicks’ 105-95 win in October. With both teams still finding their rhythm and plenty of physicality in this rivalry, I like this one to land in the 210s.

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Pistons vs. Heat odds

Pistons vs. Heat best bet

I’m backing Detroit to win outright against a Miami team that still has some defensive questions to answer. The Pistons won 60 games last season and opened this year with a 121-113 victory over Boston. Meanwhile, Miami surrendered 131 points in its opener against Minnesota, which is concerning given the talent on its roster. Cade Cunningham should be able to exploit Miami’s perimeter defense, while Detroit has the size and physicality to compete with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Miami certainly has the talent to win this game, but I’m not convinced the Heat have figured out how to put everything together. At nearly even money, I’ll back the more established team.

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Timberwolves vs Magic odds

Timberwolves vs. Magic best bet

Minnesota’s new-look backcourt couldn’t have looked much better in the opener. Edwards torched the Heat for 45 points, hitting nine of his 17 3-point attempts, and LaMelo Ball chipped in 21 points with five triples of his own. The Wolves knocked down 21 3s as a team and hung 131 on a Miami defense that’s supposed to be one of the better units in the East with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo up front.

Orlando’s defense didn’t offer much resistance in its own opener. The Hawks dropped 132 points at the Kia Center, including a 44-point second quarter, and the Magic coughed it up 20 times. That’s a dangerous recipe against a Minnesota team with two guards who can turn live-ball turnovers into points before the defense gets set.

Edwards isn’t going to shoot over 50% from deep every night, and I’m not expecting a repeat of the 131. That said, this number leaves a lot of cushion. Ball gives the Wolves a second creator who can push the pace, and Orlando’s game script points to plenty of possessions in a matchup with a total sitting at 234.5.

Minnesota only needs 117 to cash this, and I like them to clear it with room to spare.

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Clippers vs. Lakers best bet

Kessler’s Lakers debut was about as good as it gets for a new center. He went a perfect 12-of-12 from the field for 26 points against the Warriors, and 11 of those makes were dunks, most of them lobs from Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Defenses have to collapse on Doncic every time he gets downhill, leaving Kessler alone at the rim more often than not.

He won’t be perfect from the floor every night. That said, this line is pricing him like the version of Kessler that sat in a low-usage role in Utah, and that’s not who he is in this offense. JJ Redick raved about how hard he runs the floor, and the Lakers want to push in transition with Doncic and Reaves throwing ahead to him.

The Clippers handled the Kings easily on Wednesday, but they’re playing without Kawhi Leonard and don’t have much size to throw at Kessler. Brook Lopez came off the bench in the opener, and he isn’t the type of big who can keep up with a center sprinting rim to rim for 30 minutes.

Kessler played limited minutes down the stretch Wednesday because of the blowout and still cleared this number with plenty to spare. I like him to get there again in the Battle of L.A.

Trail Blazers vs. Kings odds

Trail Blazers vs. Kings best bet

Both teams’ openers stayed well short of this number, but neither game gave us a real look at what these offenses can do over four quarters. Portland had the Suns buried before halftime and pulled its starters early in the fourth, and the Kings’ loss to the Clippers was out of reach for most of the night.

The Blazers’ offense looked downright scary in that first outing. Damian Lillard went 6-of-10 from deep in his return to Portland, Ja Morant had eight assists in his debut, and the Blazers poured in 19 3-pointers with 32 assists as a team. They hung 124 on Phoenix without needing their starters for much of the final quarter.

Sacramento’s defense won’t slow that group down much. The Clippers shot 52.4% from the field against the Kings, and that was with Kawhi Leonard sitting out. Portland’s backcourt is a big step up from what the Clippers threw at them.

The Kings should also bounce back on the offensive end at home. They shot 28.6% from 3-point range and missed 12 free throws on Wednesday, and rookie Darius Acuff Jr. went 5-of-24 in his NBA debut. Zach LaVine still found a rhythm with 28 points, and Domantas Sabonis piled up 18 rebounds, so there’s enough firepower here for Sacramento to hold up its end.

The blowout concern is there with Portland laying 9.5, but I trust the Blazers’ shot-making to do most of the heavy lifting. I like this one to finish in the mid-230s or higher.

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Best NBA player props for Friday

Acuff’s NBA debut was rough. He went 0-for-7 from deep against the Clippers and finished with just 12 points, but what matters is the volume. The Kings let their rookie point guard fire away, and he was the one running the offense for most of the night.

That’s the role Sacramento drafted him for. The Kings took Acuff seventh overall after he won SEC Player of the Year at Arkansas, and they handed him the starting job from Day 1. He looked comfortable doing it in the preseason, too, dropping 19 points on the Lakers in his first exhibition and 25 more against the Warriors a few days later.

A bounce-back spot at home helps. Acuff should see plenty of the ball against a Portland team that will be pressuring him with Ja Morant and Jrue Holiday, and this game projects to be played at a quick pace. If the Kings fall behind early, he’ll keep hunting shots in the second half rather than sitting on the bench.

Rookies are streaky, and I’m not expecting him to be efficient every night. That said, the shot volume is there, and one or two of those 3s falling gets him over this number. I’ll back the talent and the usage here.

Reaves picked up right where he left off in the opener, finishing with 23 points and six assists in the win over Golden State. He spent plenty of time as the primary ball handler with Luka Doncic on the bench, and that’s where a lot of his assist value comes from.

The Lakers’ new pick-and-roll partner makes this an easier number to clear. Walker Kessler gives Reaves a lob target he didn’t really have last season, and the two already look comfortable together. Every time Reaves comes off a screen and draws two defenders, Kessler is rolling hard to the rim with nobody behind him.

The Clippers aren’t built to take that away. Without Kawhi Leonard, they’re thin on the wings, and Brook Lopez is more of a drop-coverage big who’ll give Reaves space to survey the floor. The Kings managed 22 assists against them in the opener, and the Lakers have far more playmaking than Sacramento does.

The -150 price is steep, and a blowout could cut into his minutes late. That said, Reaves cleared this in three quarters of meaningful action on Wednesday, and he’ll have the ball in his hands plenty early on. I like him to get to five again.

Haliburton didn’t look like a guy who had just missed an entire season. In his first regular-season game since tearing his Achilles in the 2025 Finals, he dished out 12 assists in 33 minutes to lead the Pacers past the Pelicans. That was his first time playing more than 30 minutes in over 16 months, and Rick Carlisle didn’t hesitate to lean on him late.

This is the same player who averaged 9.2 assists the last time we saw him over a full season, and Indiana is clearly built to run everything through him again. Pascal Siakam poured in 30 points in the opener, and those two picked up their two-man game like they never missed a beat.

Dallas gave up 128 points in its loss to Houston, and the Mavericks’ defense doesn’t have the perimeter pressure to keep Haliburton from getting downhill. The Pacers want to play fast at home, and more possessions mean more chances for him to rack up dimes.

Getting plus money on a number he cleared in his first game back is a price I’m happy to take. I like Haliburton to hit double digits again in front of the home crowd.