With the 2025 National Basketball Association season starting in just a couple of weeks, fans are ready to get the preseason over with and to officially start the season.
The opening games of the NBA start on Oct. 21, and here are predictions for the opening matchups. With the first of the two games on Oct. 21, the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, are taking on the Houston Rockets.
The Thunder are known for their 2025 most valuable player award winner, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while Houston has their star player in Kevin Durant who was traded to the Rockets over the summer.
Expect the Thunder to take the win, as they are just the better team in this matchup. The last game of the day is the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers are known for their stars Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and of course the greatest of all time, LeBron James. The Warriors have their star player in Stephen Curry who in my opinion is the greatest shooter of all time. This will be a good game, but the Lakers will take the victory.
Next on Oct. 22, Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks. These are two stand out teams in the Eastern conference so this will be a good game. I predict that the Knicks will win this game.
Next up, the Brooklyn Nets will take on the Charlotte Hornets, led by Lamelo Ball. The Nets have not been the best team these past couple of years, so I predict that the Hornets will beat them.
The Orlando Magic will take on the Miami Heat in a battle of the Florida teams. I think that the Heat will win this game with their stand out players, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
Next up we have Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. I think that the Hawks will take the win in this matchup.
Next up, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers will take on Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. This will be a great and entertaining game to watch and I think that the 76ers will win this game.
Next up, the Detroit Pistons will take on the Chicago Bulls. I predict the Bulls will win this game. After this, Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans will take on the Memphis Grizzlies led by their star Ja Morant. Expect the Grizzlies to take the win.
Later, the Washington Wizards will take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Wizards are currently the worst team in the NBA, so the Bucks should win fairly easily.
Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and the Los Angeles Clippers will take on the Utah Jazz with their rookie, Ace Bailey. I think that the Clippers will win this game.
Next up, the San Antonio Spurs will take on the Dallas Mavericks. The Spurs are known for their stand out players Victor Wembayana and 2025 rookie of the year, Stephon Castle. The Mavericks are known for players like Kyrie Irving and their number one overall pick, Cooper Flagg. This will be a great matchup, and I expect the Mavericks to take the victory.
Next up, Domontis Sabonis, De’Aron Fox, and the Sacramento Kings will take on the Phoenix Suns. I think this will be a win for the Kings. Then, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the Portland Trail Blazers.
I think the Timberwolves will win this game. The Indiana Pacers play their first game in a NBA Finals rematch against the Thunder. I think this is another win for the Thunder. Lastly, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets will play their first game against the Warriors where I think the Nuggets will win.
This will be an exciting week for the NBA and the fans will expect nothing more than excitement. The road to the NBA Finals starts on October 21.