Orlando will want to move on quickly from their 2025/26 campaign, as they lost in the first round to Detroit and never really looked like they clicked throughout the season. As a result, head coach Jamahl Mosley was shown the door, making way for former San Antonio assistant Sean Sweeney for his first head coaching gig in the league. Not much has changed roster-wise for Orlando, with Moe Wagner departing and Nikola Vučević coming into the team, and in an Eastern Conference that has gotten significantly stronger, that’s not good news. Franz Wagner’s health will be a big factor, with the star forward missing 48 games last season. If he can avoid major injuries, Orlando may well be in the running for a playoff berth, but their clunky offence, lack of shooting and lack of playmaking really makes me low on their upside.
Atlanta have similar issues with their roster construction, as they prepare for their first full season in the post-Trae Young era. A 2-4 loss to New York in the first round of the playoffs saw Atlanta show some encouraging flashes, as CJ McCollum looked unstoppable early in the series. The 35-year-old returns for another season in ATL, but Jalen Johnson will be the lead man again as he aims to cement himself as an all-league player. Eighth overall pick Kingston Flemings comes into the team to provide another back court option, as do Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins, while Dorian Finney-Smith gives them some more defensive versatility. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had the best season of his career in 2025/26 and he’ll need to be at the top of his game if Atlanta want to produce on that end of the floor, but they are going to have plenty of rough spells, including on Thursday.
Two rather unbalanced offences meet in this game and, being their first game of the season, I am expecting some ugly basketball to be played. Neither team’s offence was anything special last year and that will be the case again in 2027. With a lack of playmakers and shotmakers across the floor, I am picking the under.
Best
Under 235.5 ($1.90)
Miami will be wanting to be one of the best teams in the East this season after trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, and signing Klay Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr and Nick Richards. They said goodbye to Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr, Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis in the trade to Milwaukee, bringing about a big roster revamp but, importantly, they were able to retain Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins. Pelle Larsson, Nikola Jović and Dru Smith will feature off the bench to round out the team, indicating how top-heavy this roster is. In a loaded East, that’s going to make it hard for Miami to contend in the conference, let alone against elite West teams such as Minnesota.
Minnesota also come to Florida after making a huge trade in the summer, bringing in LaMelo Ball and Josh Green for Naz Reid and Julius Randle. That acquisition of Ball will take a lot of offensive pressure off Anthony Edwards and sets up a compelling backcourt duo, but the absences of Reid and Randle left a big hole at the four, which has since been filled by the free agency signing of Jonathan Kuminga. With Rudy Gobert returning at centre and Jalen McDaniels on the wing, Minnesota have some elite defensive backstops but both Ball and Kuminga will need to show a lot more defensive awareness and effort than they have so far in their careers if they want to make sure Minnesota is among the league’s best.
Both teams will have a lot to prove in Thursday’s matchup but Minnesota’s offensive firepower is going to get them over the line. The Ball-Edwards backcourt is going to be a real handful for defences, especially considering Miami don’t have a lot of defensive weapons to put on athletic shooters. Gobert is going to have his hands full, as is McDaniels, but this Minnesota side is a smoother fit from day one and we’ll see that shine through in their opening clash.
Best
Minnesota +1.5 ($1.90)
The Lakers waved goodbye to LeBron James in the offseason in what was one of many moves from their front office. Along with James, Deandre Ayton, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Marcus Smart were all shown the door, and in their place came Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Jaden Hardy and Zaire Williams. Most importantly, though, Luka Dončić returns for his second full season in the purple and gold and is again one of the MVP favourites, especially now that the team is undoubtedly his following LeBron’s exit. Austin Reaves will also feature heavily for JJ Redick’s side after another strong season in 2025/26, and it’s reasonable to expect the team’s offence to be around the top-10 mark with Dončić and Reaves at the helm. The additions of Kessler and Thybulle will also help them immensely defensively, after a below-par season on that end of the floor last year, and they’ll have their first test on Thursday.
Golden State’s season preparations were given a real scare on Monday as videos of Steph Curry limping off the practice court emerged. There have been reports that it was only a rolled ankle, which will come as a big relief to those at Chase Center, but it’s far from the ideal preparation for the team heading into their opener. It’s a new-look frontcourt, with Gui Santos and rookie Yaxel Lendenborg expected to join Draymond Green in the starting unit. Kristaps Porziņģis (illness) remains out to start the season, with Al Horford and Georges Niang set to provide backup big minutes, while Brandin Podziemski, Gary Payton II, Will Richard, Brandon Williams and De’Anthony Melton will cycle through the guard and wing positions alongside Curry.
With Curry on the floor, we have to expect that Golden State’s offence will be good, but he has very little help on that end of the floor especially with Podziemski out for the opener. Defensively they’re unathletic and will struggle with the multiple weapons that Los Angeles can throw at them, and that’s not a good combination. While healthy, which they are at the moment, I expect the Lakers to be a good team and they should handle Golden State with relative ease in game one.
Best
Los Angeles Lakers -6.5 ($1.90)