The NBA has finally put opening night on the board for the 2026-27 season, and the betting market wasted no time reacting.
With LeBron James now headed to Philadelphia, the 76ers will be one of the teams under the lights on Oct. 20, when they visit the Knicks as part of a three-game opening slate. The other matchups are Pistons-Celtics in the afternoon and Thunder-Spurs later that night.
All three games landed with tight spreads, and that makes sense given the way these teams are stacked up after last season’s playoffs. Oddsmakers opened each line inside four points.
Detroit gets the first nod at home against Boston, even though the Celtics are one of the teams expected to contend in the East again. Boston has gone through a major reshaping after trading Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia in the offseason, while Detroit is mostly running it back after finishing as the No. 1 seed in the conference in the 2025-26 campaign. The Pistons also took three of four from the Celtics last season, and this one is expected to be an afternoon tip, giving the league a rare day-game feel.
Then comes the marquee opener in New York, where the defending champion Knicks are favored over the new-look Sixers. Jalen Brunson and company rolled through the playoffs and beat San Antonio in five games to win the title, and they’ll start the new season at Madison Square Garden as the team to beat in this matchup.
Philadelphia, though, looks very different now with James, Brown and Dean Wade added to the mix. The Knicks swept the Sixers in the second round last spring, but this one has the feel of an early measuring stick for Philly’s revamped core.
The nightcap brings another playoff rematch, and this one has the makings of a long-running Western Conference showdown. San Antonio owns the early edge over Oklahoma City after taking four of five regular-season meetings in 2025-26 and then eliminating the Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference Finals before falling to New York in the Finals. Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle give the Spurs one of the league’s most exciting young trios.
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, has reworked parts of its roster after that postseason exit, moving Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort in trades. The Thunder are leaning younger, and they’re hoping Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell are healthy to start the season and give reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander some help. Both missed a significant chunk of the Western Conference Finals, which was part of what helped San Antonio get through the series.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
In Other News...
Celtics Schedule Just Sparked A Jaylen Brown Debate Fans Will Feel
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That absence has already fed the kind of leaguewide chatter that tends to follow a marquee Eastern Conference pairing, especially with fans and commentators wondering about the scheduling choices around Jaylen Browns move to Philadelphia. Even without a head-to-head date right away, the setup has only sharpened the curiosity around when the Celtics and 76ers will finally see each other and how much the league may be trying to hold that matchup back for a bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Maxey Faces A New 76ers Reality With LeBron And Brown
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Sixers Land Another Big National Spotlight With Lakers Christmas Showcase
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Philadelphia also opens with the Knicks on opening night and gets the Cavaliers in its home opener, giving the early part of the season a distinctly spotlight feel. The NBA is still set to release the Cup group-stage schedule and the full slate later this week, so there will be more details to sort through soon, but the headline dates already show the Sixers are again part of the leagues featured programming. [Read more 🡒]