The 2016-17 NBA season tips off Tuesday night with a trio of very interesting and entertaining games highlighted by banner night in Cleveland and the classic Western Conference clash between the San Antionio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors.

New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers (-9.5, 204)

No team within the Eastern Conference added more big names within the offseason than the brand new York Knicks, but the entire newcomers bring long injury histories and massive question marks. The Knicks are among the teams fighting for second place within the East behind the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, who will receive their championship rings in a pregame ceremony before hosting Ny within the season opener on Tuesday.

The Knicks signed former Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah and point guard Derrick Rose and taken in Brandon Jennings and Courtney Lee to sign up for Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis in new coach Jeff Hornacek's system. "I FEEL we're definitely a piece in progress," Noah told reporters. "WE'VE GOT numerous work to will we. got to get well. We've not had numerous time to play together." The Cavaliers are very accustomed to one another and taken back the entire main pieces from last season's championship run and can be hosting the sport in a festive atmosphere with the primary game of the sector Series between the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs going down around the street mutually. LeBron James and corporate are heavy favorites to win the Eastern Conference for the third straight year and continue the town of Cleveland's recent run of fine fortune -- the NFL's Browns excepted.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Cavaliers opened as 9.5-point home favorites and the road has not waivered since being released. The whole opened at 203, spiked immediately to 204.5, topped out at 205, and settled back off to the present collection of 204. View complete line history here.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (2015-16: 32-50): Rose played in 66 games for the Bulls last season - his highest total since playing in 81 games within the 2010-11 campaign - but missed two weeks of coaching camp and played in precisely one preseason game while taking time without work to be in court for a civil trial associated with an alleged sexual assault. The previous MVP, still just 28 years old and cleared of all charges stemming from the trial, averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 42.7 percent from the ground last season and can be charged with running Hornacek's offense. Big apple ran Phil Jackson's preferred triangle offense exclusively under Derek Fisher and Kurt Rambis last season, but Hornacek is incorporating other philosophies into the attack.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (2015-16: 57-25): Cleveland overcame a 3-1 deficit within the finals to overcome the Golden State Warriors last June, and coach Tyronn Lue is intent on limiting the damage on James after the superstar made his sixth consecutive trip to the finals. James averaged 35.6 minutes throughout the 2015-16 regular season and bumped that number as much as 39.1 through the postseason, and Lue expects those regular-season minutes to drop. “He understands that we wish to keep his minutes down, and when there’s games where it is smart to take off, we’re going to take those games off," Lue told reporters. "We’re being smart in regards to the situation. We've one goal in mind, and that’s winning a championship."

TRENDS:

* Knicks are 0-5 ATS of their last 5 Tuesday games.
* Cavaliers are 8-1 ATS of their last 9 home games.
* Under is 4-0 in Knicks last 4 vs. NBA Central.
* Under is 7-0 within the last 7 meetings.

Utah Jazz at Portland Trail Blazers (-5.5, 193.5)

Damian Lillard has set a lofty goal for the 2016-17 season and can start chasing his public declaration when the Portland Trail Blazers open the season against the visiting Utah Jazz on Tuesday. The star guard vows his intention is to win MVP honors this season, a feat that might require the path Blazers to seriously improve on last season's 44-38 record.

Lillard was superb last season when he ranked sixth within the NBA with a 25.1 scoring average and tied for eighth in assists at 6.8 and he expects to take another step upward. "I WOULD LIKE to win MVP," Lillard told reporters. "If we pop out and do the things we're able to doing and we win games, then that suggests my performance can be at a degree of MVP." Utah fell one victory wanting a Western Conference postseason spot last season and can be without small forward Gordon Hayward (broken finger) and backup guard Alec Burks (knee) on the outset of the season, while power forward Derrick Favors (knee) is questionable for the opener. "It's tough because we do not have an entire roster right now," new point guard George Hill told reporters. "And and not using a full roster, it is a bit hard to look exactly where we're at. Our focus presently is to get everyone healthy, but with the fellows we've in there, I FEEL we're moving within the right direction."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), KGW (Portland)

LINE HISTORY: The Blazers hit the betting board as 6-point home favorites for his or her season opener against the Utah Jazz but on Monday that time spread was dropped down slightly to -5.5. The full opened at 193 and was bumped up a half point to 193.5. View complete line history here.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (2015-16: 40-42): Utah acquired Hill from the Indiana Pacers to bolster a lackluster point guard situation, added veteran swingman Joe Johnson as a free agent and bought veteran forward Boris Diaw from the San Antonio Spurs. Shot-blocking force Rudy Gobert (averages of eleven rebounds and 2.2 blocks last season) is back at center and shooting guard Rodney Hood (14.5 points) is predicted to take another breakthrough however the team badly needs Hayward (19.7 points) and Favors (16.4 points, 8.1 rebounds) within the lineup. "You lose two of your best players -- obviously you desire to have them at the court able to go and everyone healthy," Hood told reporters. "WE HAVE NOW guys which might be going to compete. We've to look what happens. Hopefully we get those guys back quicker than we expect."

ABOUT THE PATH BLAZERS (2015-16: 44-38): Lillard and backcourt mate C.J. McCollum (20.8 points, 4.3 assists) fuel a team that revamped quickly last season after losing longtime mainstay LaMarcus Aldridge as a free agent. Offseason additions comparable to swingman Evan Turner and center Festus Ezeli were pinpointed to fortify a bench that incorporates swingman Allen Crabbe and forward/center Meyers Leonard. Al-Farouq Aminu (10.2 points) and Maurice Harkless (6.4 points) will open the season because the starting forwards with Mason Plumlee (9.1 points, 7.7 rebounds) back because the center.

TRENDS:

* Jazz are 5-2 ATS of their last 7 road games.
* Trail Blazers are 0-4 ATS of their last 4 vs. NBA Northwest.
* Under is 7-2-1 in Jazz last 10 road games.
* Over is 6-1 in Trail Blazers last 7 overall.
* Over is 13-3 within the last 16 meetings in Portland.

San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors (-9, 212.5)

The Golden State Warriors set an NBA record with 73 wins within the regular season last year but couldn't finish it off with a second straight NBA championship, prompting the club so as to add the most productive free agent available on the market over the summer. Kevin Durant will make his regular-season debut with the soldiers once they host the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

Durant joins fellow NBA MVP Stephen Curry and All-Stars Draymond Green and Klay Thompson in an offense that led the NBA in scoring last season, and the four thrived briefly spurts at the floor together within the preseason. “All in all, things are coming together,” coach Steve Kerr, tempering expectations, told reporters. “We’re not there yet, but we probably shouldn’t be there yet because we’re only some weeks into this thing.” The Spurs were Golden State's closest challengers within the Western Conference throughout the 2015-16 regular season but fell within the conference semifinals and lost future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan to retirement after the playoffs. San Antonio filled that vacant spot within the frontcourt with 36-year-old Pau Gasol and 33-year-old former Warrior David Lee.

TV: 10:30 p.m. TNT

LINE HISTORY: The soldiers opened as 8-point home favorites for his or her much-anticipated 2016-17 debut. As we should always expect for many in their games this season, the general public is betting the Dubs and the books are having to transport the road higher - Golden State is currently at -9. The whole opened at 212, went as much as 212.5, and has come again all the way down to 211.5. View complete line history here.

ABOUT THE SPURS (2015-16: 67-15): San Antonio spent the last week fighting off rumors that All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge was unhappy together with his role at the team behind breakout star forward Kawhi Leonard. "I'm winning. After all I'm happy," Aldridge said at the Jim Rome radio show. "That's why I DO NOT buy into the rumors. I THINK like I do my job here and that i feel like I've done everything that they have got asked. That's why I HAVE NEVER bought into the rumors." Leonard finished second to Curry within the MVP voting last season and is predicted to assist fill the leadership void left by the departure of Duncan.

ABOUT THE SOLDIERS (2015-16: 73-9): Golden State's five-man unit of Curry, Thompson, Green, Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes was the most productive within the league last season and can now upgrade from Barnes to Durant. The move to the soldiers came with some criticism for Durant, though he and his new teammates insist they're shielding the skin noise. “Some people say we're villains," Green told reporters. "I DO NOT BELIEVE we're really going into it saying we're villains, we have to do that. Who cares? It's like, it really doesn't matter what people attempt to make you play. It's about getting at the court, getting between these lines and performing."

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 1-4 ATS of their last 5 vs. Western Conference.
* Warriors are 1-4 ATS of their last 5 games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Spurs last 6 vs. NBA Pacific.
* Under is 4-0-1 in Warriors last 5 home games.
* Favorite is 5-1 ATS within the last 6 meetings.

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