The Daily Sweat: Victor Wembanyama makes his NBA debut as part of 12-game NBA slate
There are No. 1 overall pick debuts every year in the NBA, and some of those players were fantastic, exciting prospects.
But it's rare to have a rookie's debut overshadow the rest of the sport.
In perhaps the biggest NBA debut since 2003 when LeBron James had his first game for the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Sacramento Kings, Victor Wembanyama takes the floor for the San Antonio Spurs. Once in a while you'll find James' first game being replayed on NBA TV, and other debuts like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar get that treatment too. If Wembanyama is as good as advertised, the Spurs' opening-night game could be one of those classic games being replayed years from now.
The Spurs are 3.5-point home underdogs at BetMGM to Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks. That game will be played on ESPN, and it should get great ratings. Wembanyama has already gone viral several times in the preseason, whether it's for shocking dunks in the lane or closing out and blocking 3-point shooters. He plays like no other 7-foot-4 player we've ever seen.
The question for bettors is whether Wembanyama makes the Spurs any good right away. He certainly will impact the game on both ends. But the Spurs were 22-60 last season, bad enough to put themselves in position to win the lottery and get Wembanyama. San Antonio's betting win total this season is just 28.5. It might take a while for them to be a team worth betting on.
San Antonio might not be great this season, but they're instantly one of the NBA's most interesting teams due to their rookie phenom. We'll get our first look at Wembanyama on Wednesday. Unlike plenty of other NBA regular-season games, this one should be memorable.
Here's the rest of the sports betting slate from Wednesday:
The rest of the NBA
There are 12 games in the NBA as the regular season gets going.
The first game of the NBA doubleheader on ESPN should be a fun one. The Boston Celtics play at the New York Knicks. The Celtics are 3.5-point favorites. The Celtics are co-favorites to win the NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks. They're +400 to win it all. It should be a good test against a Knicks team coming off of one of its most successful seasons in decades.
An under-the-radar interesting game is the New Orleans Pelicans at the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies have a good team even with Ja Morant serving a suspension, and the Pelicans have Zion Williamson back on the floor. Memphis is a 1.5-point favorite.
Best of the rest
The NHL has a light night after the whole league played on Tuesday. The New Jersey Devils are a -250 favorite as they host the Washington Capitals.
In college football, Jacksonville State is a 7.5-point road favorite at Florida International, and Sam Houston is a 3.5-point favorite at home vs. UTEP.
What's the best bet?
I'm going to go with the Minnesota Timberwolves as a 1.5-point road favorite at the Toronto Raptors. The Timberwolves might be sneaky good this season, with Anthony Edwards blossoming into a true star. Beating the Raptors on the road would be a great start to their season.
