NBA betting tips today: A preview of the Eastern Conference Finals?

The first day of the new NBA season is upon us and we have a couple of treats for this evening, with Boston Celtics and New York Knicks squaring off in the TD Garden in what could very well end up being a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals this year. The second game of the day is between Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers.

So, here are my NBA betting tips for today:

All odds in the article taken from Paddy Power and subject to change.

Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks: Under 223 Total Points @ 9/10

The opening game of the 2024/2025 NBA season could be a duel between two top teams in the East. The Celtics enter the season as the defending champions and one of the main favourites to go all the way again, while the Knicks have made major moves during the summer to improve on their team, which reached the Conference Semifinals last season.

The Celtics will host the game and are favourites to win, but I'll focus on total points for my betting tip. This is a duel between two great defensive teams, at least if we look at points per game allowed. Last season, Boston allowed 107.6 ppg to their opponents, while New York allowed 108.7 ppg, which were two of the TOP 5 averages in the league.

Taking that into account, as well as the fact that this is the first game of the season and that teams sometimes need a bit of time to get into their optimal offensive rhythm, I can see this game going under 223 total points.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves: Timberwolves to win @ 9/10

While the Lakers have ended their season by barely avoiding a sweep against the Nuggets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, the Wolves have reached the Conference Finals for only the second time in the franchise's history. Timberwolves have made a major move this offseason by sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenco, but the core of the team remained and I expect them to hit the ground running this season.

Meanwhile, the Lakers have pretty much stayed the same and the ongoing “Bronny drama” can't be positive for the team's confidence and chemistry going into the new season. Add to it the fact that the Lakers tend to start their seasons slowly, as evidenced by the fact that they've lost the opening game of the season for seven seasons in a row, and you can see why I would favour Minnesota to snatch a win in Crypto.com Arena.

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