2026 NBA Opening Night odds, picks, player props, best bets, predictions: Experts, model backing Knicks, Spurs

SportsLine’s experts and the SportsLine Projection Model have revealed NBA picks and best bets for Tuesday, October 20

The 2026-27 NBA season is finally here with a three-game slate on Tuesday, featuring Celtics vs. Pistons at 3 p.m. ET, 76ers vs. Knicks at 7 p.m. ET, and Thunder vs. Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET. One of SportsLine's top experts is backing the Spurs (-135) to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder at home. The SportsLine Projection Model is backing the Knicks to cover as 4.5-point favorites against LeBron James and the 76ers, and an expert has locked in a player prop betting pick for Pistons vs. Celtics as part of NBA best bets on Tuesday. James' over/under for total points scored in his 76ers debut is 15.5.

Before locking in your Tuesday NBA picks, be sure to check out the top NBA betting picks from SportsLine's team of proven experts and the model. Trade on the NBA here with the best Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55 and get a $55 bonus: The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned nearly $19,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks since 2018, including five straight seasons of four-digit profit. The model enters the 2026-27 season off yet another huge season, including going 26-10 (72%) on top-rated spread picks at NBA betting sites. Anyone following on betting sites could have seen huge returns. Combining the