The Warriors come in off another NBA championship after destroying the Cavaliers in last year’s Finals. There’s no doubt they’re destined for another run but I’m always leery about backing a champion right off the bat to start a season. Houston lost its strong point guard defender in Patrick Beverley in a trade for Chris Paul. Bringing together two talented guards is hard to do in any situation, especially with superstars like Paul and James Harden. Yet, I like the steps the Rockets' role players took last season. They’ll match the Warriors' role players and get enough from Harden/Paul to cover. Grab Houston.

The Rockets improved significantly with the additions of Chris Paul and P.J. Tucker. Tucker brings the toughness and defense this team desperately needed. While the Warriors are in their own class -- their Vegas win total is 11 games higher than anyone else's -- they spent much of the preseason in China where they only practiced twice. If you recall, Golden State lost last year's season opener by 29 points to the Spurs. This time they're not getting blown out at home, not on the night they get their championship rings. But I'm looking for a fairly close game and taking the points.