NBA Betting Picks

The regular season begins on October 20, 2026, with an Opening Night tripleheader.

The Boston Celtics visit the Detroit Pistons before the spotlight moves to Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks will raise their championship banner before facing a new-look Philadelphia team featuring LeBron James. The night concludes with the San Antonio Spurs hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals.

Other important dates include the start of the Emirates NBA Cup on October 30, with group play continuing until November 27. The knockout rounds take place in December, culminating with the NBA Cup Championship on December 11.

Christmas Day again provides five major games, including a Knicks-Spurs Finals rematch at Madison Square Garden and LeBron returning to Los Angeles with Philadelphia.

The trade deadline falls on February 11, 2027, while NBA All-Star Weekend runs from February 19-21 in Phoenix. The regular season finishes on April 11 before the Play-In Tournament begins on April 13.

The wait finally ended for New York last season. The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals, securing their first championship since 1973 and the third NBA title in franchise history.

The final scoreline does not adequately describe how competitive the series was. Every game was within five points during the final five minutes, making it one of the most closely fought five-game Finals in recent NBA history

At the centre of it all was Jalen Brunson. The Knicks captain averaged 32.6 points per game during the Finals before producing his masterpiece when New York needed it most. Brunson scored 45 points in Game 5, leading the Knicks to a 94-90 victory in San Antonio and earning the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award.

For the Spurs, defeat nevertheless provided another indication of what could be coming. Victor Wembanyama averaged 26 points and 11.2 rebounds during the series and had already led San Antonio through the Western Conference. The Knicks won the championship, but the Spurs established themselves as one of the teams likely to remain at the centre of the title conversation.

The two meet again on Christmas Day in New York, before their final regular-season rematch in San Antonio on March 7.

The next generation arrived at the 2026 NBA Draft, where the Washington Wizards used the first overall selection on BYU forward AJ Dybantsa.

Dybantsa was followed by Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, selected second by the Utah Jazz, while Memphis took Duke forward-center Cameron Boozer with the third pick.

North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson went fourth to Chicago and Illinois guard Keaton Wagler completed the top five after being selected by the LA Clippers.

The intrigue now shifts from draft projections to the court.

Washington will hope Dybantsa can become a foundational player for the franchise, while Peterson and Boozer enter situations where they should have opportunities to establish themselves quickly.

Rookie of the Year should consequently be another fascinating race to follow throughout 2026-27.

The biggest transaction of the summer involved one of the defining players of his generation.

After 13 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to the Miami Heat. Miami acquired Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, with Milwaukee receiving Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr, Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis alongside a significant package of draft assets.

It immediately changes the Eastern Conference. The two-time MVP gives Miami another genuine franchise superstar and an opportunity to build a championship contender around one of the NBA’s most devastating two-way players.

Giannis makes his regular-season Heat debut against Minnesota on October 21. The date many Milwaukee supporters will circle, however, is January 28, 2027, when Antetokounmpo returns to Milwaukee to face the Bucks for the first time as an opponent.

LeBron James provided the summer’s other blockbuster. After eight seasons with the Lakers, the NBA's all-time leading scorer joined the Philadelphia 76ers, linking up with Joel Embiid for what James described as his “last decision”.

He will make his Philadelphia home debut against Cleveland on October 22, an intriguing matchup given James considered another return to the Cavaliers before choosing the Sixers. But the emotional reunion comes on Christmas Day. On December 25, Philadelphia visits the Lakers as LeBron plays in Los Angeles for the first time since leaving the franchise.

The wider offseason was hardly quiet either. Ja Morant was traded from Memphis to Portland, while LaMelo Ball moved from Charlotte to Minnesota to join Anthony Edwards. The sheer volume of change means several potential contenders will enter the season with substantially different identities.

There is a packed schedule ahead, but some dates immediately stand out:

• October 20 – Opening Night: Celtics-Pistons, 76ers-Knicks and Thunder-Spurs open the regular season.
  
  
• October 21 – Giannis' Miami debut: The Heat host LaMelo Ball and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
  
  
• October 22 – LeBron's Philadelphia home debut: James and the Sixers face the Cleveland Cavaliers.
  
  
• October 30 – NBA Cup begins: Group Play starts around the league.
  
  
• December 11 – NBA Cup Championship: The fourth edition of the competition reaches its conclusion.
  
  
• December 25 – NBA Christmas Day: Five games include Knicks-Spurs and LeBron's return to Los Angeles.
  
  
• January 28 – Giannis returns to Milwaukee: Antetokounmpo faces the Bucks in Milwaukee for the first time since his blockbuster trade to Miami.
  
  
• February 11 – NBA Trade Deadline: The final opportunity for contenders to make major roster moves.
  
  
• February 19-21 – NBA All-Star Weekend: The league's biggest stars gather in Phoenix.
  
  
• April 11 – Regular-season finale: All 30 teams are scheduled to play.
  
  
• April 13-16 – NBA Play-In Tournament: The final playoff places are decided.