Expert Picks
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DraftKings. Jalen Williams is coming off an injury plagued season in which he only managed to suit up for 33 contests. Still, he averaged more than 27 combined points, rebounds and assists in just 28 minutes per game, in line with his per minute averages from the year before. Already built up to 24 minutes in the preseason and reportedly 100% healthy, I’m gladly buying in on this discounted line. It’s a tough team matchup against the Spurs, but individually Williams should excel in the mid-range. Coming into the season highly motivated, look for J-Dub to make his mark in game 1.
Always geeked for the start of the NBA season. The Thunder are thinner thanks to the luxury tax as they dealt away Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Luguentz Dort (a starter and stellar defender) for chump change. Chet Holmgren didn't play at all this preseason due to a quad injury. Probably will go Tuesday but how many minutes? Victor Wembanyama usually eats his lunch regardless. San Antonio is not only back essentially intact after its Finals run but added Tobias Harris. Model has Spurs by two.
Thunder center Chet Holmgren (quad contusion) did not play at all during the preseason. He is a gametime decision for OKC's opener against the Spurs. Even if Holmgren plays normal minutes, this is not a good matchup for him as evidenced by his performance in last season's Western Conference Finals. He averaged 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in the seven-game loss. It's more likely, however, that Holmgren will get reduced minutes if he plays.
In last year’s Western Conference Finals, Cason Wallace quietly made a name for himself. His defense alone stood out as he cleared his steals prop in all seven games, but he also made an impact offensively. He made two or more three pointers in five of the seven games, and his confidence showed taken a series high ten shots in game seven. He makes the most of his shot attempts, and clears his points prop.
The 2025-26 numbers support a lower-scoring game. Oklahoma City ranked first in defensive rating (107.7), while San Antonio finished third (111.3). Both ranked top three in opponent effective field goal percentage and top five in limiting points in the paint. Neither plays particularly fast, with San Antonio 13th in pace (99.9) and Oklahoma City 16th (99.3). Oklahoma City also ranked second in opponent turnover percentage (14.6%), a potential problem for San Antonio’s fourth-ranked offense. Those defensive metrics are even more impressive considering OKC played most of the game without Jaylen Williams. With the modest pace, the under 231.5 is my preferred play.
Jalen Williams had an injury marred disappointing 2025-26 season where he was clearly operating at less than 100% after finishing All-NBA Third Team the season prior. Williams looked like that version of himself in the preseason and I expect him to return to form. He should be locked into a high usage role in a game that projects to be competitive and a potential WCF preview.
What an amazing matchup, the defending champions against a rival team of assembled superstars built to knock them off. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown join the 76ers. Tyrese Maxey is out there as well. So there are only so many buckets to go around. This is a high total for Joel Embiid, who over the last two Opening Nights is a combined 3-for-20 shooting for 17 points. He faced Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks three times last year and scored 24, 18 and 14. Preseason means nearly nothing, but Embiid played a robust 26.5 minutes per game in his two outings and averaged 16.5 ppg.
Andre Drummond takes over for Mitchell Robinson and faces his former team again. He played them in the preseason, only playing 11 minutes but grabbed five boards in the process. Knicks fans know that some point KAT will get into foul trouble and in comes Drummond. When he does, he'll be the best offensive rebounder on the floor. Drummond’s mobility is better than Embiid and should be able to control the paint, when in, like he has done throughout his career.