- Close
ESPN Senior Writer- Dr. André Snellings is a senior writer for men's and women's fantasy basketball and sports betting at ESPN. André has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN in 2017 after a 16-year career as a neural engineer, during which time he was also a writer and analyst for Rotowire.
- Close
ESPN Writer- Eric Moody is a writer for fantasy football, men's and women's basketball, and sports betting at ESPN. Eric joined ESPN in 2021 after working as a senior fantasy analyst at Pro Football Network. Prior to that, he spent much of his career as a manager at a Fortune 100 financial services company.
The 2025-26 NBA season tips off on Tuesday, October 21 with the Oklahoma City Thunder raising their NBA championship banner against the Houston Rockets, who now feature Kevin Durant.
The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to take the crown in the Eastern Conference, as the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers will need others to step up to replace injured stars. Cooper Flagg looks to make a splash in his rookie year with the Dallas Stars, while teams like the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings look to take another step forward.
Every team has a betting angle -- from player props to team futures -- and that's why we're here to help you find the best futures bet from each of the NBA's 30 teams.
André Snellings made his picks for the Eastern Conference, Eric Moody did the same for the Western Conference. Odds as of publication. For the most up to date odds, visit ESPN BET.
Jump ahead
Eastern Conference: Hawks | Nets | Celtics | Hornets | Bulls |
Cavaliers | Pistons | Pacers | Heat | Bucks |
Knicks | Magic | 76ers | Raptors | Wizards
Western Conference: Mavericks | Nuggets | Warriors | Rockets | Clippers |
Lakers | Grizzlies | Timberwolves | Pelicans | Thunder |
Suns | Trail Blazers | Kings | Spurs | Jazz
Eastern conference
Atlanta Hawks
Trae Young 12-plus Assists Per Game (+225), Trae Young Assists Per Game Leader (-130)
In last season's preview, I noted that Young's career trajectory suggested he would break 11 assists per game and lead the league in assists. Sure enough, he averaged 11.6 APG and led the league. Rinse and repeat. Entering his eighth NBA season, Young has increased his assists average every season of his career, from 8.1 APG as a rookie up to 11.6 APG in his recently concluded seventh season. In addition, the Hawks have surrounded him with finishers this season, including a new pick-and-roll/pop partner in Kristaps Porzingis.
Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown to average 28-plus PPG (+225)
Brown will be Boston's top scoring option this season with Jayson Tatum out injured. Over the past two seasons, when Brown played without Tatum his scoring average increased from 22.2 PPG to 26.8 PPG. Expect Brown to take a good chunk of Tatum's 20.3 field goal attempts per game this season, and with the team featuring him, those looks should come from advantageous spots. Brown has averaged as many as 26.6 PPG over a season (2023-24) while playing next to Tatum, and he has a good chance to set new career marks this season. At plus money, Brown over 28 PPG is solid value.
Brooklyn Nets
Fewest regular season wins in the NBA (+180)
The Nets enter the season in a three-way near-virtual tie in the projections for the worst record in the league, according to BPI. The Nets and Utah Jazz (+165 for fewest wins) both have a BPI of -6.9, tied for the second lowest mark in the league just ahead of the Washington Wizards' BPI of -7.4. The Nets drafted five rookies in the first round of this year's draft and plan to feature them in their rotation, and that much youth could be a ticket more for building for the future than present-day success. At plus money, there is value in betting them for the fewest wins in the league.
Charlotte Hornets
Over 26.5 wins (-120)
The Hornets won only 19 games last season and 23 the season before, but those struggles are strongly correlated with the injury absences of their perimeter players. Last season, the Hornets went 16-31 with LaMelo Ball in the lineup, for a 28 win pace, but only 3-32 without him. Ball has struggled with injuries for three straight seasons, but this offseason the Hornets seemed to prepare for that by bringing in several quality guards. With this added depth on the perimeter, in addition to growth among their young stars like Ball and Brandon Miller, the Hornets project to more success. Per BPI, they project to 29.6 wins this season.
Chicago Bulls
Josh Giddey to average 8-plus APG (+115), Giddey to win Most Improved Player (18-1)
The Bulls traded away Zach LaVine last season, giving the reins of the franchise to Giddey and Coby White. In the last 19 games of the season, after the LaVine trade, Giddey averaged 21.2 PPG, 9.3 APG and 10.7 RPG. With the offense running through him, Giddey has a strong chance to average 8-plus APG over the course of this season. If he comes anywhere near his stats from the last quarter of last season, he will be firmly in the MIP mix as well.
Cleveland Cavaliers
To be Eastern Conference No. 1 seed (+115)
The Cavaliers exploded for 64 wins with a +9.5 point average scoring margin last season to finish as the top seed in the East, three games ahead of the Boston Celtics and 13 games ahead of the New York Knicks. The Cavaliers return all of their primary players and their coach from last season, while the Celtics will be without Jayson Tatum and the Knicks will feature a new head coach. The Cavaliers will be without Darius Garland for roughly the first month of the season, but still have plenty of talent to replicate their level from last season. According to BPI, the Cavs project to comfortably win the most games in the East, with more than a four-game cushion in projected wins of the second seed (Knicks).
Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham to average 28-plus PPG (+185)
Cunningham has significantly increased his scoring average in every season of his career, from 17.4 PPG as a rookie up to 26.1 PPG in his fourth season. Cunningham is still only 24 years old, and the Pistons are built for him to be the clear-cut top creator on offense. He is high usage, will have the ball in his hands on every possession, and continues to improve as both a finisher in the paint and a 3-point shooter. Cunningham averaged 28.1 PPG over his last 40 games last season, giving this bet strong value at plus money.
Indiana Pacers
Andrew Nembhard (12-1) or Bennedict Mathurin (16-1) to win Most Improved Player
With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined (Achilles) and Myles Turner traded away, plus T.J. McConnell dealing with injury, the Pacers will be depending on Nembhard and Mathurin to create the lion share of their offense from the perimeter. Both could be in line to see significant jumps in production over their previous career, with Nembhard as a strong source of points and assists and Mathurin as a potentially dominant scorer. This is a recipe for a potential MIP bid in a field that tends to be wide open every season.
Miami Heat
Heat to participate in Play-In Tournament (-110)
The Heat have been in the Play-in Tournament in three straight seasons, continuing the tradition last season despite the Jimmy Butler availability saga that ended with his in-season trade to the Warriors. The Heat enter this season, again featuring a roster strong enough to compete each night but unlikely to contend. According to BPI, the Heat project to a three-way tie for the ninth-best record in the East, more than five games behind the projected sixth seed and more than five games ahead of the projected 12th seed.
Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo to average 7-plus APG (+110)
Charles Barkley weighs in on Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with the Bucks after Milwaukee had trade conversations with the Knicks earlier in the offseason.
Antetokounmpo averaged a career-best 6.5 APG last season, but in the 13 games he played without Damian Lillard he averaged 7.9 APG. With Lillard no longer on the roster, Giannis should see an uptick in his usage, perhaps to the level of the career-high 38.8 USG% from 2022-23 -- the season before Lillard's arrival. With the makeup of the Bucks, Antetokounmpo will be tasked with creating the majority of the offense for himself and his teammate. He has a strong chance to generate a career-best in assists for the third straight season.
New York Knicks
To make Eastern Conference Finals (+130)
The Knicks made the Eastern Conference Finals last season, going through the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the semi-finals before losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Finals. But both the Celtics and Pacers lost their best players to torn Achilles tendons in the playoffs, dramatically lowering their likelihood to return to those levels this season. The Knicks changed coaches in the offseason, but otherwise return their primary rotation players with the goal of getting even better this season. Per BPI, the Knicks project to the second-most wins in the Eastern Conference this season, and have the second-highest odds to reach the Conference Finals this season.
Orlando Magic
Paolo Banchero to average 26-plus PPG (+110)
Banchero increased his scoring average in each of his first three seasons, from 20.0 PPG as a rookie up to 25.9 PPG last season. The Magic brought in another volume scorer this offseason in Desmond Bane, one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. While Bane's shots will have to come from somewhere, I think Banchero's scoring volume actually increases because Bane's shooting ability will stretch opposing defenses in ways the Magic haven't been able to do in recent years. Banchero loves to operate from the mid-range and inside off the dribble, and he should have more room to get the shots he wants this season.
Philadelphia 76ers
Tyrese Maxey to average 26-plus PPG (+150)
Charles Barkley joins "The Rich Eisen Show" and explains why the 76ers can win the Eastern Conference this season.
Maxey has averaged 26.1 PPG in 122 total games over the past two seasons. He has consistently scored at that level, and at only 24 years old he still has significant upside to improve. Maxey is one of three All Stars in the 76ers starting lineup, but both Joel Embiid and Paul George have significant injury histories that have kept them out of large amounts of games for the past several seasons. Maxey will be relied upon even more heavily if his teammates are out, and he has the game to support higher usage when called upon.
Toronto Raptors
To participate in Play-in Tournament (Even)
The Raptors are an enigmatic team because they lost so many games to injury last season, but they are a team full of young veterans that have each proven themselves productive when on the court. If It all meshes, they could be one of the more talented young teams in the Eastern Conference. According to BPI, the Raptors project to a three-way tie for the ninth-best record in the Eastern Conference, more than five games behind the projected sixth seed and 5.5 games ahead of the 12th seed.
Washington Wizards
Fewest regular season wins in NBA (+375)
The Wizards are a rebuilding team that plans to feature their young prospects this season, though they also currently roster two veteran starters in CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton. This season should be more about developing their young players and establishing a professional culture than wins and losses. According to BPI, the Wizards project to the lowest score in the NBA at -7.4, with only the Brooklyn Nets (-6.9) and Utah Jazz (-6.9) joining them below -5.0. With significant plus money, there is value in betting the Wizards for the fewest wins in the league this season.
Western conference
Dallas Mavericks
Cooper Flagg over 16.5 points per game (-110)
Flagg is a solid bet because the No. 1 overall pick enters a high-usage role in Dallas alongside Anthony Davis while Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL. His versatile scoring, size, and competitive mindset make him a primary offensive option from day one. We project Flagg to average 19.5 PPG in 33.2 MPG on 14.6 shots per game.
Denver Nuggets
55-plus wins (+105)
Denver is positioned for success thanks to roster upgrades and depth. Trading Michael Porter Jr. for sharpshooter Cameron Johnson (19.0 PPG, 47.5% FG, 39% 3PT) improves floor spacing for Nikola Jokic. Adding Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas strengthens bench scoring and brings veteran toughness. Meanwhile, young wings Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, and Jalen Pickett have all shown progression, giving the Nuggets a complete roster ready for a division-title push.
Golden State Warriors
Over 46.5 regular season wins (-115)
The Warriors return a proven core led by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and midseason addition Jimmy Butler III. Golden State went 28-15 following Butler's arrival. With veterans healthy and role players like Al Horford, Seth Curry, and Brandin Podziemski adding depth, Golden State is set to exceed its win total. Built to contend, don't overlook them to make the Western Conference Finals (+625) or NBA Finals (16-1) if everyone stays healthy.
Houston Rockets
Under 53.5 wins (-120)
The Rockets lost Fred VanVleet for the season to an ACL tear, leaving Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Aaron Holiday, and Josh Okogie to shoulder the backcourt. Even with Kevin Durant (37) added, his injury history limits consistency as he's averaged just 49 games per season over the past five years. Combined with limited bench scoring, it's hard to see Houston matching last year's 52 wins. Expect them more as a play-in team than a division contender.
LA Clippers
To finish as the Western Conference No. 5 Seed (+500)
The Clippers boast a star-studded roster with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac, supported by veterans Bradley Beal, John Collins, Chris Paul, and Brook Lopez. Their offense and defense are elite, but age and past injuries-especially Leonard's-could affect consistency. If the core stays healthy and meshes well, the Clippers have the depth and talent to finish near the No. 5 seed in the West, with postseason availability prioritized over seeding.
Los Angeles Lakers
To win the NBA championship (15-1)
The Lakers have two generational stars in Luka Doncic and LeBron James, and they went 15-8 together last season despite Doncic joining midyear. With a full offseason to build chemistry, new additions like Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart to bolster defense, and head coach JJ Redick entering Year 2 with more time to craft his system, this roster has the firepower and leadership to make a serious title run.
Memphis Grizzlies
Over 40.5 wins (-115)
Memphis returns its core of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., who combine for elite scoring and playmaking when healthy. With new additions like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ty Jerome bolstering depth, and promising young players like Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey taking the next step, the Grizzlies are well-positioned for success. They are poised to exceed 40.5 wins, provided Morant stays on the court.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Over 49.5 wins (-115)
The Timberwolves have averaged 52.5 wins over the past two seasons and return every key piece outside Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo form a potent core, now bolstered by sharpshooter Johnny Juzang and 6-foot-11 rookie Joan Beringer. With continuity, proven growth, and added depth, 50-plus wins are well within reach.
New Orleans Pelicans
Over 30.5 wins (-110)
A healthy Zion Williamson transforms this team. Now add in Jordan Poole's scoring, Trey Murphy III's two-way growth, and Dejounte Murray returning from injury. With veterans like Kevon Looney and defensive anchor Herbert Jones, the Pelicans have the depth and talent to compete. If Zion stays on the court, 31-plus wins are easily within reach.
Oklahoma City Thunder
NBA Championship Winner (+200)
Oklahoma City returns virtually its entire championship roster, led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Jalen Williams, and defensive anchor Chet Holmgren. Last season, they dominated with a record-setting point differential and suffocating defense. Youth, continuity, and a proven ability to turn defense into offense make OKC a powerhouse poised to become the first team in seven years to win back-to-back titles.
Phoenix Suns
Over 31.5 wins (-115)
The Suns' roster overhaul gives Devin Booker a balanced backcourt alongside Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, both reliable three-point threats (Brooks shot 39.7% on 6.3 attempts per game last season). Rookie Khaman Maluach and Mark Williams bolster the frontcourt, while new coach Jordan Ott brings offensive innovation. Even without Durant or Beal, this revamped Suns squad should comfortably surpass 32 wins.
Portland Trail Blazers
Under 33.5 wins (+110)
Portland's offseason is all about potential and hype, not proven production. Damian Lillard will miss the full season with a torn Achilles, Jrue Holiday is on the decline, while young centers Yang Hansen and Donovan Clingan need time to develop. Even with flashes from Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Deni Avdija, the team lacks consistency and depth, making another suboptimal season likely.
Sacramento Kings
To Participate In The Western Conference Play-In Tournament (+195)
Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis form a veteran core capable of scoring in bunches, while Dennis Schroder adds experience at point guard. Young talent like Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford provide upside. If the roster gels under head coach Doug Christie and stays healthy, the Kings have the firepower to sneak into the Play-In.
San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama to record 1-plus blocks in every regular season game (+130)
Wemby is cleared to play this season following a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder that prematurely ended his second season. The 7-foot-3 generational talent dominated defensively last season, averaging 3.8 BPG. Wemby is primed to control the paint again, and we project him to average 4.0 blocks a game.
Utah Jazz
Over 19.5 wins (-110)
Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, when healthy, form a promising frontcourt duo, with Markkanen coming off a strong EuroBasket. Rookie Ace Bailey and Summer League MVP Kyle Filipowski bring scoring and versatility, while young guards like Cody Williams, Keyonte George, and Walter Clayton Jr. could develop into reliable contributors. With health and growth, the Jazz should edge past 20 wins, but not by much.