The 2026-27 NBA season will begin with a tripleheader on Oct. 20.
The first game of the upcoming season will be a matinee matchup between the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics at 3 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
A championship banner will be raised in Madison Square Garden before the New York Knicks host the Philadelphia 76ers at 7 p.m. ET. The nightcap will be a Western Conference finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
All three games will be on NBC.
NBA Opening Night 2026
| Visitor | Host | Time (ET) | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics | Pistons | 3 | DET -1.5 | 223.5 |
| 76ers | Knicks | 7 | NYK -4.5 | 228.5 |
| Thunder | Spurs | 9:30 | SAS -2.5 | 230.5 |
Celtics vs. Pistons Odds & Prediction: NBA Opening Night
The Pistons begin as 1.5-point home favorites over the Celtics ahead of their season opener on Oct. 20. My Celtics vs. Pistons prediction leans toward the over on the full-game total at 223.5.
Boston traded away Jaylen Brown this offseason, but the team’s identity should remain the same. The Celtics will continue to seek the long ball after ranking third in 3-point rate last season. When shots are falling, they can score a lot of points.
As for the Pistons, they were one of the best defensive teams in the league last year. But it’s difficult to trust that to be as sticky year to year, especially while the team holds firm in contract talks with restricted free agent Jalen Duren.
76ers vs. Knicks Odds & Prediction: NBA Opening Night
The defending champions are 4.5-point favorites over the new-look 76ers in their first game of the season. I’ll be interested in targeting the player prop markets when those NBA odds become available at BetMGM.
Projecting the usage of Philadelphia’s top players could be the key to early success this season. Despite the additions of Brown and LeBron James, I expect Tyrese Maxey to remain the top option. I’m interested in his scoring props and James’ assist markets early on.
As for the main markets, I prefer siding with the Knicks to win by margin. The 76ers will have to learn how to play together, whereas the Knicks are coming off a dominant playoff run of cohesive basketball.
Thunder vs. Spurs Odds & Prediction: NBA Opening Night
The Spurs are 2.5-point favorites against the Thunder in their first meeting of the season. My Thunder vs. Spurs prediction leans toward the under (230.5), but only because it offers better value than anything else.
While projecting defenses can feature more variance, it’s safe to assume these are the two best defensive teams in the league. The Thunder have ranked first in defensive rating in back-to-back seasons, while the Spurs have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
In five head-to-head meetings last regular season, these two teams combined for 223.6 points. The under came through in three of the five matchups.
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