The 2017 online NBA betting kicks off this upcoming Tuesday, giving NBA sportsbook players the reason they’ve been waiting for to flock to their TVs. As we watched last year’s Finals unfold, most NBA bettors felt pretty certain about how the 2017-18 season would turn out. However, we saw a fair share of bombshells this past offseason that will ultimately play a hand in determining this year’s playoff landscape, and it goes without saying that the result will likely be unexpected.

There will be two contests to tune in for on opening day. First up is a matchup between the Boston Celtics and the reigning Eastern Conference champions. This is one heck of a game to kick off the season, considering the current narrative surrounding both these teams.

For those out of the loop, the Cavs made a multi-faceted trade with the Celtics all to find Kyrie Irving a new home. Irving, for reasons that were never truly clarified, wanted out of Cleveland. Many online NBA betting fans felt like it was out of grievances with LeBron James, but Irving never confirmed this. Irving ended up going to Boston while some Celtics, most notably Isaiah Thomas, were sent to the Cavs.

This trade ended up ticking off players on both sides. On the Cavs, James is somewhat disgruntled due to Irving’s departure. Furthermore, Thomas, who was Boston’s star, felt betrayed by the franchise because it seems like they dumped him due to the severe injury he sustained in last year’s playoffs. On Boston’s side, Irving and his new crew will be looking to prove to players betting NBA in 2017 that they are the frontrunners in the East. Let’s take a look at what kind of finish NBA sportsbooks are predicting.

Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – Tuesday, October 17^th

When: 8:00 pm ET

Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

TV: TNT

Stream: TNTDrama, NBA TV

"(Everyone's) mind & hearts are pure about what we're trying to accomplish."@dwyanewade x @cavsfredmcleod 🎥 → https://t.co/ErocMV9lOX https://t.co/kcfIgAIiCf
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 13, 2017

Boston Celtics

The Celtics are coming off a 53-29 season that saw the franchise finish 1^st in both the Atlantic Division as well as the Eastern Conference. Towards the end of the season, the Celtics managed to usurp the Cavs for both of those leads. Cleveland had managed to hold the lead in both the division and conference for most of the season, but a string of losses in the later half of the year opened the door for a Celts’ resurgence. Once in the playoffs, Boston advanced past the Chicago Bulls in the 1^st round 4-2 and swept the Washington Wizards in the Semi-Finals before losing Thomas to the aforementioned injury. Without Thomas in the lineup, the Celtics didn’t stand a chance against Cleveland and lost 4 games to 1. This Tuesday night, Boston will be looking to avenge that postseason loss.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Like Boston, Cleveland is also looking to get some revenge. But they’re aiming towards a Western Conference opponent: the Golden State Warriors. In addition to Thomas, Cleveland also added Dwayne Wade this past offseason. With the new lineup, online NBA betting fans can’t wait to get the first real look at the 2017 Cavaliers.