The new NBA season is almost upon us, and while there have been interesting moments across the preseason, throwing up some intriguing talking points, nothing quite beats the real thing. The 2025/25 NBA season proper gets underway on October 21st, kickstarting a run of no fewer than 1,230 games until we get down to the business of the Playoffs in mid-April.
Of course, there will be plenty of brilliant stories to come across the season, both expected and unexpected, but we wanted to pick out a few matchups from the first week of the season, looking at the games that most excite us, and that might tell us something about the Playoffs and teams’ momentum for the season ahead. We’ve picked five from Week 1, starting with a fascinating test for the champions:
Rockets @ OKC, October 21
The first game of the season is a humdinger, featuring the champions against a team that many think will be their biggest challengers in the Western Conference. While OKC is the favorite to win this opener – and favorite for the NBA Championship – this is a game you should approach carefully when placing NBA spreads bets. Kevin Durant’s arrival in Houston does not make the Rockets instant winners, but it could provide the catalyst for a young team to step up to the next level. This one could tell us a lot early on in the season.
Cavaliers @ Knicks, October 22
As chance has it, the two best (on paper) teams in the Eastern Conference play the day after ‘the best of the West’ collide. Arguably, both the Knicks and the Cavs have several questions that need to be answered. For the former, it’s about how the new head coach Mike Brown gets the team to take the extra step into the Finals. For the Cavs, it’s whether the fortitude and magic from last season can be harnessed again.
76ers @ Celtics, October 22
This is such a fascinating game for a variety of reasons. The Sixers were, bar none, the biggest disappointment of last season, so fans will want to see them hit the ground running quickly to make amends this term. As for the Celtics, the team will want to prove it is about more than Jayson Tatum. It’s hard to think of any team in recent history that went from title favorites to mid-tier due to an injury to one player, but that’s the perception of Boston right now. A win for either team could be a massive confidence booster.
Nuggets @ Golden State Warriors, October 23
At the time of writing, the Nuggets are second-favorites to win the NBA Championship with several sportsbooks, just ahead of the Knicks, Cavaliers, and Rockets, but a fair distance behind the OKC. Personally, we think those markets are going to move a lot in the first month. Why? Because, while everyone agrees the OKC deserves the favorite tag, nobody agrees (including sportsbooks) on who the closest challengers are. This game, in and of itself, won’t tell us if the Nuggets are ready to usurp the champions, but it is exactly the type of tricky game that befuddles lesser teams. As for the Warriors, it would be quite an achievement to match last season’s Conference Semi-Final run, but you can never rule out Curry at co.
Timberwolves @ Lakers, October 24th
We’ve mentioned the OKC, Nuggets, Cavs, Knicks, and Rockets, who broadly form the top five teams in the betting markets going into the new season. On the first Friday of NBA regular-season action, the next two teams collide. The Lakers fanbase is clearly excited by seeing Luka Doncic in yellow, but will he be enough to galvanize a franchise that has felt lopsided for a few seasons? As for Minnesota, it’s one of the best rosters in the league, but one that is hurting after losing two Conference Finals in a row.
