On August 14, the 2025-26 NBA schedule was unveiled. The focus was on the Global Games, to be played in Mexico City, Berlin, and London, which will serve as opportunities to expand the market, as well as the Rivals Week, featuring 11 national games with doubleheaders and a tripleheader among the league’s greatest rivals. The unveiling featured an announcement of 1,200 games, including those between the NBA and the NBA Cup, as well as several marquee events, ranging from Christmas Day games to the playoffs.
A memorable opening
Opening Night will feature a nice doubleheader. The Oklahoma City Thunder, winners of last spring’s finals, will host the Houston Rockets, while the Los Angeles Lakers will face off with the Golden State Warriors. This second matchup will likely attract more viewers, as it represents another meeting between two of the greatest in the history of this sport. The latest chapter in the rivalry between LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who will meet each other for the 57th time in their careers, will be a challenge for the history books. James will become the first player ever to play in his 23rd NBA season. On Oddschecker you can check the stats and best odds for the Lakers and their fantastic players, or for the Warriors and their brightest stars.
The 80th NBA season tips off on October 21, in the same place where last season ended: Oklahoma City. The reigning MVP and NBA Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Thunder will raise the 2024-25 championship banner and receive their championship rings before hosting Kevin Durant and the new-look Rockets. Houston built an ambitious roster, but the favorites for this game are obviously the players on the home team. The star power is high, and the NBA is set to start with a bang, but there are other must-watch games on the schedule for Week 1. We circled out some of them and will present them to you in the following few lines.
San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks
The future of the league will present itself in Dallas. Cooper Flagg, the first pick in the Draft, will challenge Dylan Harper, the player called immediately after him. The bookmakers’ favour is with the Duke product, because he may very well be a generational talent, he was picked first overall, and plays at home, but who knows? Maybe Harper and his teammates will be more determined to triumph in the battle for Texas. According to our team stats based on last season’s data, the Mavs are slightly better. A lot can change in a summer, though.
Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks
This one will be an authentic feast in the East with the teams that finished first and third in the Conference facing each other. Donovan Mitchell will want to show everyone that he can lead the Cavs to the same place LeBron did, but the Knicks won’t be that easy to defeat at Madison Square Garden, in front of their faithful supporters.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers
On October 23rd, the Thunder will play their second game of the season. This time, they won’t be at their temple, the Paycom Center, but in Indianapolis, facing the same team they went against in the finals. Exactly four months and one day after OKC defeated the Pacers, in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, securing their first NBA title in Oklahoma, the teams will meet again. Tyrese Haliburton won’t take part in this game (and in all the others during the 2025-26 season, sadly, because his injury is too severe), but there’s a lot of pride at stake here, and Indiana would love some sweet revenge.