The 2026-27 NBA season tips off with a Tuesday tripleheader to begin the 82-game marathon. The season starts with an afternoon tip-off in Detroit, with the Pistons hosting the Celtics. Detroit, fresh off earning the East's No. 1 seed with a 60-win season a year ago, welcomes in a Boston team that underwent a major change this summer when it traded Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George.
Then it's on to ring night in New York, where the Knicks will raise their first championship banner in Madison Square Garden since 1973. After Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and company get their new jewelry, they'll shift focus to a title defense that begins with the new-look Philadelphia 76ers in town. Philly's star-studded lineup featuring LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid will look to make a statement against the defending champs.
Finally, the nightcap will feature the two best in the West renewing their rivalry, as Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs welcome Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder to town. After meeting in an instant-classic Western Conference Finals a year ago, the Spurs and Thunder are projected to be head and shoulders above the rest of the West in 2026-27, and San Antonio will look to continue their dominance over OKC.
All times Eastern. Odds via FanDuel.
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Happy NBA season, folks. The 2026-27 season is about to begin. Who will win it all? Who will finish with the best record in the East? Will the Thunder or Spurs be No. 1 in the West? We'll find out over the next eight months, but for now, we have our experts' predictions:
