The NBA is back with two premier Western Conference games on the opening-night slate.

To kick things off, the Los Angeles Lakers take on the defending-champion Denver Nuggets. The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns will square off in the night cap. All four teams are loaded with superstars. 

Let’s take a look at some of my favorite projections to target on the PrizePicks board. 

Anthony Davis more than 12.0 Rebounds 

Davis averaged 12.5 rebounds per game last season. 

He beat this projection in the first two regular-season games he Played against the Nuggets last year (he left the third game early with an injury). 

He also topped this projection in three of his four postseason games against the Nuggets. 

Over the six full games he played against Denver last season, Davis averaged 14.2 rebounds per game. 

AD draws a tough assignment against two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, but the Lakers forward has had success in this matchup before, particularly in the rebounding department. 

I like him to grab more than 12 boards to open the season. 

Michael Porter Jr. more than 13.5 Points 

MPJ averaged 17.4 points per game last season. He beat this projection in 45 of the 62 games he played. Porter Jr. also scored at least 14 points in all four playoff games versus L.A. last season. 

This is an uptempo matchup with the Lakers, who played at the fourth-fastest pace in the league in 2022-23. The Lakers also ranked just 12th in defensive rating. 

Porter has been dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out of the preseason, but I think that is baked into the projection here. 

Coach Mike Malone confirmed that Porter would play in the game. I don’t think the Nuggets would risk running him out there early in the season if he wasn’t healthy.

I will gladly take the discount and back him to finish with more than 13.5 points. 

Kevin Durant fewer than 7.5 Rebounds 

Durant averaged 6.7 rebounds per game last season. He averaged 6.4 rebounds after he was traded to Phoenix mid-season. 

He topped 7.5 rebounds in just two of the eight games he played for the Suns. 

Durant played alongside Nic Claxton last season with Brooklyn. Claxton posted a 17.4% Rebound Rate for the season and he owns a 16.2% rebound rate in his career. 

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In Phoenix last season, Durant played alongside Deandre Ayton, who posted an 18.1% rebound rate and owns an 18.8% rebound rate in his career. 

This season, Durant will play alongside Jusuf Nurkic, who is a better rebounder than either of the two big men KD played with last season. 

Nurkic posted a 19.5% rebound rate last season and owns 19.4% rebound rate for his career. 

Durant will also have to contend with elite rebounder Kevon Looney (21.4% rebound rate last season) on the other side of this game. 

Nurkic and Looney should grab enough boards to keep Durant to fewer than 7.5 rebounds.