NBA Opening Night picks: Lakers vs Clippers, Pelicans vs Raptors

The wait is finally over! The NBA will tip off its 2019-2020 season Tuesday evening with a pair of marquee matchups. The Lakers and Clippers will renew their rivalry at Staples Center, while the Raptors will begin their title defense north of the border against the Pelicans. We have odds and picks for both games below.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

The battle for LA begins Tuesday, when the Lakers and Clippers tangle at Staples Center for the first of four regular season matchups. The two franchises split their series in 2018-2019, but you can throw that record out the window, as both clubs dramatically overhauled their rosters during the offseason.

The Lakers pushed all their chips into the center of the table in July, when they acquired Anthony Davis in a three-team trade that saw eight players swapping addresses. Davis is easily the most multifaceted pivot LeBron James has ever played with, and James is easily the most talented facilitator Davis has ever played with. Their endless pick-and-roll combinations are the stuff Zach Lowe's wet dreams are made of.

The Lakers weren't the only team that played Let's Make a Deal in the offseason. The Clippers also went for broke by signing Kawhi Leonard to a three-year, $103 million max deal and then fleeced the Oklahoma City Thunder for Paul George. George won't be in the lineup Tuesday, as he continues to rehab from summer shoulder surgery, but Leonard will be, and he should wreak havoc at both ends of the court. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year was the best player on the court during the NBA Finals last season, when he controlled the tempo on offense and played lockdown D on the perimeter.

The Clippers will likely be the better team this season, but they'll struggle at times without George. Expect James and Davis to show glimpses of greatness as they deliver a statement win before an overwhelmingly pro-Lakers crowd.

Pick: Lakers -2.5 and moneyline

New Orleans Pelicans at Toronto Raptors, 8 p.m. ET, TNT

Leonard's former team will also be in action on opening night, as the Raptors host the Pelicans at Scotiabank Arena. It's easy to dismiss Toronto after it lost the Finals MVP, but the Raptors are still among the top teams in the East. Five-time all-star Kyle Lowry and former Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol are both back, and the Raptors re-upped Pascal Siakam to a lucrative four-year, $130 million contract. The long-limbed forward won Most Improved Player of the Year last season, after he increased his scoring average by 9.6 points per game. He will be expected to take an even bigger leap this season in Leonard's absence. It's a lot to ask, but Siakam didn't begin playing organized basketball until he was nearly 18, and Toronto believes the sky is the limit as he continues to refine his game.

Toronto should also get a boost from OG Anunoby, who showed promise during his sophomore season before he underwent an emergency appendectomy late in the year. He'll slide into Leonard's spot at small forward and should provide just enough offense to keep other teams honest.

The real story for the Pelicans is who won't be on the court. No. 1 draft pick Zion Williamson is expected to miss several weeks because of right knee soreness. The news is hardly surprising, given he's built like a rhino and jumps like a kangaroo, but it's discouraging all the same. New Orleans will turn instead to former all-star Jrue Holiday and new additions Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and JJ Redick. The Pelicans were 5-0 in the preseason despite working in several new core players and should play with plenty of pace in Alvin Gentry's share-the-wealth offense.

This game really comes down to cohesion. The Raptors will roll out largely the same team that won 58 regular season games and an NBA Championship, while the Pelicans will counter with a team featuring six new rotational players. Toronto's chemistry and significant home court advantage will be too much for New Orleans to counter.

Pick: Raptors -7 and moneyline

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