Somehow, the 2020-21 NBA season is already upon us. And DraftKings is offering a no-brainer promotion to kick off the upcoming year.
On Dec. 22, the Golden State Warriors will take on the Brooklyn Nets, while the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers will battle in the City of Angels.
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Here’s what the Illinois sports betting market has in store for NBA opening night.
Sleigh the spread NBA no-brainer
If you’re a new or existing user, you can double your money as long as your team doesn’t lose by 75 points.
You can bet on any of the four teams: the Warriors, Nets, Lakers or Clippers.
So, let’s say you take the Nets. As long as Brooklyn doesn’t lose by 75 points or more, you will double your money. The maximum wager is $25, and the +75 will be boosted to even odds.
The promotion excludes live bets, parlays and bonus bets, and it expires on Dec. 22.
Here are the best NBA odds at Illinois online sportsbooks. Each game should be competitive:
The Nets and Warriors will tip off at 6 p.m. CST, while the Clippers and Lakers will do battle at 9 p.m. CST.
Both games will air on TNT.
It’s going to be star-studded night of NBA action, as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard should all make their season debuts.
Durant will face the Warriors for the first time since leaving Golden State, as he sat out all of last year with an Achilles injury.
Tuesday should also mark the debut of No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, who the Warriors selected in the November draft.
Most NBA teams will begin their seasons the following day, as 26 teams are in action on Wednesday.
Bulls begin the season on Dec. 23
The Chicago Bulls, who’ve looked good in the preseason, begin their schedule on Wednesday at home against the Atlanta Hawks. Chicago is +2 on FanDuel.
There will be no fans in the United Center stands to start the season.
The Bulls are +300 to make the playoffs at DraftKings heading into the year in a weak Eastern Conference. They are +20,000 to win the NBA Championship, for those feeling extra frisky.
The roster is mostly the same as last year, but new head coach Billy Donovan figures to be a massive upgrade over Jim Boylen. First round pick Patrick Williams has turned heads in the preseason, as has sophomore point guard Coby White.
With that said, the Bulls went 22-43 last season and didn’t qualify for the NBA bubble, so it may be wise to tempter expectations.
Regardless, it will be nice to have the NBA back – even if it feels like it’s only been gone for a handful of weeks.
