The 2017 online NBA betting season kicked off this past Tuesday with a bang. The Cleveland Cavaliers managed to hold off the Boston Celtics 102-99 while the Golden State Warriors – the reigning NBA champions, were shocked by the Houston Rockets 122-121. It was a bombshell to say the least but the biggest shocker of all came from Gordon Hayward who snapped his foot within minutes of kicking the season off.
It was one of the most devastating injuries we’ve seen and it’s unfortunate for it to happen to anybody. But the Celtics still have a long season ahead of them and they’ll have to find some way to be competitive this season without their star offseason addition. Next up for the Celts is the Milwaukee Bucks. Will NBA sportsbooks predict a rebound for Boston, or are they predicting an 0-2 start for the Celts?
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics – Wednesday, October 18th
When: 7:30 pm ET
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
TV: Local Broadcasts
Stream: NBA TV
Online NBA Betting Lines:
Milwaukee Bucks +3 (-110) 204 (-110) +130
Boston Celtics -3 (-110) 204 (-110) -150
The Celtics showed a true fighting spirit during an emotional season opener in Cleveland. https://t.co/c4FQnoDUDh
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 18, 2017
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have yet to open the 2017 online NBA betting season, but judging by how the franchise fared in the preseason, NBA betting sites aren’t expecting that much out of Milwaukee this season. The Bucks went 1-3 this past preseason and even though that record looks pitiful, it looks even worst when looking at the competition they faced. Milwaukee lost to the Dallas Mavericks 106-104, to the Indiana Pacers more decisively 104-89, and to the Chicago Bulls 114-101. Those aren’t exactly playoff caliber teams and seeing Milwaukee lose to them in that manner lets their fans know that it will be the same old, same old this season.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics are 0-1 and despite losing one of their stars this early this season, Boston still has a very real opportunity to vie for the playoffs. Boston did all they could to handle LeBron and Co. but fell short 99-102 in the end. After Hayward went down with that devastating injury, all online NBA betting shifted towards Kyrie Irving, who had just left Cleveland this past offseason. Debuting for his new team, Irving managed to put up 22 points on the night making him the Celts second-leading scorer on the night – behind Jaylen Brown’s 25 points. Irving is a tremendous talent but isn’t the greatest shot in the world. Facing a last-second opportunity to win the game, Irving tried to make the three but fell short. The loss makes it seem like Irving made a mistake in leaving the Cavs, as many NBA bettors pointed out that Irving just turned down his best chance to win a title. We’ll see what time has to say about Irving’s questionable decision. Irving stressed the sentiment that it’s ‘just one game’ but this one game will certainly shape people’s perception of his departure from Cleveland.
