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By Max Meyer

There are 11 NBA games on the docket tonight, including intriguing matchups for the two teams atop the board for championship futures at Caesars Sportsbook.

For the Nets (+260 favorites), one of their top players is making his season debut tonight. For the Warriors (+550), they’ll be facing off against another Western Conference foe in a battle between two of the biggest superstars in the game.

Kyrie Irving will suit up for the Nets for the first time this season after being held out of Brooklyn’s first 35 games after refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Due to New York City’s vaccination mandate, he will only be allowed to play in road games with the Nets. Tonight he’ll be in Indianapolis going up against the Pacers at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT as Brooklyn tries to snap a three-game skid.

After opening as 7.5-point favorites, the Nets (-420 on the moneyline) are up to -8.5 over the Pacers (+320 ML). The total has experienced an even more sizable shift, rising from 218.5 to 224. As for Irving, his points prop resides at 19.5 with the over at -125 and the under at -105. That’s the fourth-highest for this game, behind Kevin Durant at 27.5, James Harden at 23.5 and Domantas Sabonis at 21.5.

“If you’ve been away for a long time, it takes a little time to ease into things and ease back into the rotation,” said Adam Pullen, Assistant Director of Trading at Caesars Sportsbook. “So we’ll see how Steve Nash plays him, whether he’ll go out and play normal minutes or a more limited amount. He should have some impact in helping the offense, he’s definitely a positive addition. It just remains to be seen how he’ll be used in the rotation.”

The Nets have grabbed 80% of the total number of tickets and 63% of the total dollars wagered among all spread bets in this one. Caesars Sportsbook bettors are aligned on the total too, with the over receiving 85% of the total number of tickets and 74% of the total dollars wagered.

Also on 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, but on ESPN, is Warriors at Mavericks. Golden State has the best record in the NBA at 29-7, however Dallas is currently tied for its longest winning streak of the season at three. The last two victories were with Luka Doncic back on the court after he missed the previous 10 affairs.

The Warriors (-200 ML) are 4.5-point road favorites against the Mavericks (+170 ML), while the total has increased from 211.5 to 214. Interestingly, these have been the NBA’s two biggest under teams this season, with unders for Dallas games going 23-12-2 and 22-12-2 for the Warriors.

“I think Warriors-Mavericks will have the bigger handle over Nets-Pacers for sure,” Pullen said. “The Warriors are as big a public team as any and it helps that it’s on national TV. Luka has been back for a couple games now, so you’d think he’d be ready to go in a high-profile matchup against the Warriors.”

The road favorite has gotten the bulk of the spread action, with the Warriors capturing 82% of the total number of tickets and 78% of the total dollars wagered. Yet, it’s the Mavericks that have attracted a $50,000 wager on them at +190 to take the game outright for potential winnings of $95,000.

There are extreme splits on the total, with the over having the advantage with 92% of the total number of tickets and the under drawing 97% of the total dollars wagered. That's due to a Nevada bettor placing $55,000 on Warriors at Mavericks under 215 (-110) for potential winnings of $50,000.

The biggest wager placed on that clash, though, was a $220,000 one on Warriors at Mavericks over 109 points first half (-110) for potential winnings of $200,000. Additionally, another $220,000 bet came in on Hawks at Kings over 120 points first half (-110).

Check out Caesars Sportsbook’s trends for Nets at Pacers and Warriors at Mavericks below.