The Toronto Raptors tip off the 2025-26 NBA season against the new-look Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
The pregame narrative: Brandon Ingram will make his much-anticipated debut with the Raptors and should be featured as the team’s No. 1 scoring option. Atlanta, meanwhile, acquired big man Kristaps Porzingis in the offseason to bolster its front court in a weaker Eastern Conference.
Check out my Raptors vs. Hawks picks for their season opener in Atlanta on Oct. 22.
We haven’t seen what Ingram can provide to the Raptors in a meaningful game, but we do have some preseason numbers to go off.
In four games, Ingram cleared this line three times. He did so in 27.8 minutes per night. His average playing time will surely increase during the regular season.
Ingram also shot lights out from 3-point range. In those four appearances, he hit 9-of-17 attempts from long range (52.9%).
He was brought in to be the top scoring threat, so he’ll take a lot of shots. If his efficiency remains elite to start the season, his floor as a scorer will be very high.
Atlanta’s defence should be better, but it is far from great. The Hawks allowed 119.4 points per game last year (third-most in the NBA).
It’s hard to know what to expect, but based on his previous season averages, this number is way too low for a bucket getter of Ingram’s calibre.
Key stat: Ingram has averaged 20-plus points in six straight seasons.
NBA over/under pick
Under 237 points (-110): Atlanta is always a team that scores in bunches, but that should be tough against the Raptors.
Toronto was a middle-of-the-pack defensive team last season, but dealt with an early injury to Scottie Barnes and then participated in an ethical tank over the final couple of months.
With the roster at 100%, there are several quality defenders to make things tough for Trae Young and Co.
Defensive wing Jalen Johnson is healthy after missing most of last season, and the 7-foot-2 Porzingis now protects the rim. He averaged 1.9 blocks last year.
Finally, there’s the underlying issue of Toronto’s floor spacing. The starting five lacks a pure shooter, which will require the Raptors to attack the paint.
That can naturally limit points, but it should also be tough with Atlanta featuring elite inside defenders.
Raptors vs. Hawks predictions made at 1:57 p.m. on 10/22/2025.
The Toronto Raptors tip off the 2025-26 NBA season against the new-look Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
The pregame narrative: Brandon Ingram will make his much-anticipated debut with the Raptors and should be featured as the team’s No. 1 scoring option. Atlanta, meanwhile, acquired big man Kristaps Porzingis in the offseason to bolster its front court in a weaker Eastern Conference.
Check out my Raptors vs. Hawks picks for their season opener in Atlanta on Oct. 22.
We haven’t seen what Ingram can provide to the Raptors in a meaningful game, but we do have some preseason numbers to go off.
In four games, Ingram cleared this line three times. He did so in 27.8 minutes per night. His average playing time will surely increase during the regular season.
Ingram also shot lights out from 3-point range. In those four appearances, he hit 9-of-17 attempts from long range (52.9%).
He was brought in to be the top scoring threat, so he’ll take a lot of shots. If his efficiency remains elite to start the season, his floor as a scorer will be very high.
Under 236 points (-112): Atlanta is always a team that scores in bunches, but that should be tough against the Raptors.
Toronto was a middle-of-the-pack defensive team last season, but dealt with an early injury to Scottie Barnes and then participated in an ethical tank over the final couple of months.
With the roster at 100%, there are several quality defenders to make things tough for Trae Young and Co.
Defensive wing Jalen Johnson is healthy after missing most of last season, and the 7-foot-2 Porzingis now protects the rim. He averaged 1.9 blocks last year.
Finally, there’s the underlying issue of Toronto’s floor spacing. The starting five lacks a pure shooter, which will require the Raptors to attack the paint.
That can naturally limit points, but it should also be tough with Atlanta featuring elite inside defenders.
Raptors vs. Hawks predictions made at 9:55 a.m. on 10/22/2025.
Cooper Flagg makes his NBA debut on Wednesday night at home against Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs.
The latest: Flagg and Wemby were first-overall draft picks in their respective years, and both are among the most promising young players in the NBA. With notable absences tonight for players like Kyrie Irving and De’Aaron Fox, look for the young guns to make some noise.
Check out these Spurs vs. Mavericks picks for the season opener on Oct. 22 in Dallas.
I’m ready for the next chapter of Wembanyama’s ascendance to superstardom, and it should start immediately.
Wembanyama can truly score from anywhere, which makes him a matchup nightmare for any opposing team.
He’s tall enough to hang on the rim without jumping, but he was also comfortable attempting 8.8 threes per game last year (cashing in at a 35.2% clip).
The Mavericks have ample size and defensive skill up front with Flagg, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and more. With that in mind, Wemby could decide to chuck a high volume of shots from the outside.
I looked at his odds for over 2.5 threes (+114), and they seemed enticing. But Wemby only attempted 10 threes across five preseason games, which spooked me a bit.
Not that preseason stats should carry much weight, but on opening night, I’d rather lean on his all-around scoring talent.
Especially in the absence of Fox, who figures to be the team’s second-leading scorer this year behind Wemby. Fox (hamstring) is out on Wednesday, as is Jeremy Sochan.
Wemby averaged 24.3 PPG last season before a blood clot issue cut his season short. He was cleared to play in July and should be firing on all cylinders tonight.
Key stat: In two games last year without Fox (post-trade), Wembanyama went 2-0 vs. this line. He attempted exactly 20 shots in both games.
Flagg over 4.5 assists (+123): There’s some unavoidable conjecture involved with this play since we’ve never seen Flagg in a meaningful NBA game.
But if you want to bet on him to succeed in some way tonight, this is easily my favourite way to do it.
The Spurs allowed the eighth-most assists per game last year (28.0).
None of the Mavericks’ returning players averaged 4.5 assists or more last year. And their new point guard, D’Angelo Russell, ranked 47th in the NBA last year at 5.1 APG.
Without an obvious go-to facilitator, this line looks completely clearable for Flagg.
In his lone collegiate season at Duke, Flagg averaged 4.2 APG. But he was also the team’s leading scorer (19.2 PPG), so it’s not like he was maxing out in the assist department.
Between AD, Russell and Klay Thompson, there are plenty of capable scorers for Flagg to defer to (and dish to) in his debut game.
Spurs vs. Mavericks picks made at 10:16 a.m. ET on 10/22/2025.
The NBA’s opening night concludes with a marquee West Coast matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
The pregame narrative: Los Angeles is a 3.5-point home underdog, with LeBron James (sciatica) sidelined untill mid-November. There’s still plenty of star power in this matchup, though, with Steph Curry and Luka Doncic favoured to lead their respective teams in scoring.
Check out my Warriors vs. Lakers same-game parlay predictions for the NBA’s season opener, featuring both star point guards.
Under 237.5 points (-305): I want to stay away from picking a side in this matchup. Instead, let’s take the under on this heavily teased total, which provides solid negative correlation with the following two prop bets.
Last season, three of the four matchups between these teams went well under this total. The lone over landed on 239 points.
LeBron played in each of those games, and the ageless superstar averaged 32.3 PPG.
The King didn’t bring much to the table defensively in his age-40 season, so his absence should make it tougher for both teams to score.
Golden State ranked seventh in defensive rating last season, and both teams sat outside of the top half of the league in pace (possessions per 48 minutes).
Doncic 3+ threes (-275): Doncic is one of the NBA’s elite deep threats, ranking top-five in 3s attempted and made per game in each of the past two seasons.
2023-24: 4.1 threes on 10.6 attempts (38.2%)
2024-25: 3.5 threes on 9.6 attempts (36.8%)
That type of volume puts this milestone in play on a nightly basis.
The Warriors are far from a plus matchup, allowing the second-fewest 3s per game to opposing point guards last season, per Fantasy Pros.
But Doncic is going to get his shots up against any team, especially with LeBron (who averaged 5.7 three-point attempts per game) sidelined.
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night in the NBA’s season opener.
The pregame narrative: OKC and Houston play in the first game of an opening night doubleheader, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Durant headlining the action. The Thunder were the best home team in the NBA last year and are favoured to tip off the new season with a win.
Check out my +360 Rockets vs. Thunder same-game parlay predictions for the NBA’s season opener, in Oklahoma City on Oct. 21.
Chet Holmgren 2+ threes (+110): Isaiah Joe and Jalen Williams ranked first and fourth, respectively, in 3-point attempts per game for the Thunder last year. Both are out tonight.
Their 11.2 attempts/game may not directly translate for the remaining players, but the absences do create more opportunities than usual for other guys. To me, that adds intrigue to Holmgren’s line.
Holmgren shot a respectable 37.9% from deep last year on 3.6 attempts.
He shot 10-for-17 (58.8%) beyond the arc in three games vs. the Rockets last year, going 2-1 vs. this number.
Dating back to the 2023-24 season, Holmgren has played 16 games without J-Dub, and the 3-point numbers have been great in terms of volume and efficiency.
In those 16 games, Holmgren shot 44.4% from 3-point range on 5.1 attempts. He went 11-5 vs. this milestone.
Reed Sheppard 2+ threes (-155): Like Holmgren, Sheppard is a high lottery pick who’s been brought along slowly.
But with Fred VanVleet out for the year, Sheppard should see a huge lift in usage as a sophomore.
Ideally, Sheppard takes over as the starting point guard for Houston. Tonight, though, he’ll come off the bench.
I don’t see that as a bad thing, given that it should mean more time for Sheppard to be a second-unit alpha rather than deferring to the team’s primary scorers (Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun).
Sheppard shot 10-for-23 (43.5%) from deep in his final three preseason games and cashed this bet each time. That includes one game coming off the bench.
NBA opening night arrives Tuesday with a doubleheader featuring four marquee franchises — and plenty of star players.
The latest: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder open their season at home against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. Later on, look for Austin Reaves to take on a bigger role in the absence of LeBron James.
Check out the best NBA prop bets for opening night on Oct. 21, featuring picks on SGA, Reaves and Alperen Sengun.
Facing what is likely the best defence in the NBA, Sengun has no business seeing an assist line this high.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had the league’s best defensive rating last year (106.6) while ranking No. 1 in steals (10.3/game) and No. 2 in blocks (5.7/game).
The defending champs are not a fun bunch to square up against.
Sengun could be tasked with heightened responsibilities as a passer this year, mind you. Fred VanVleet (knee) is out for the season, and last year, FVV was the only Houston player who outpaced Sengun in assists per game.
But Sengun’s 4.9 APG average in 2024-25 fell comfortably below what this line is asking of him. And in a daunting matchup, I just don’t see him getting it done.
Gilgeous-Alexander over 32.5 points (-114): Expect to see a lot of points props sitting around this number — and above — this season for Gilgeous-Alexander.
The reigning NBA scoring champ averaged 32.7 PPG last season in 76 games, marking his third consecutive year scoring 30+ points on a nightly basis.
SGA led the league in field goal attempts per game and made free throws.
The Houston Rockets ranked fifth in defensive rating last year, so this isn’t a plus matchup. But SGA is as matchup-proof as any scorer these days.
Over the two previous seasons, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 33.3 PPG vs. the Rockets in eight meetings.
Reaves over 9.5 rebounds/assists (-138): Reaves averaged 10.3 rebounds/assists last season, which makes this line seem pretty fair from the outset.
But with LeBron (lower back) sidelined for the Lakers, the over on Reaves’ RA prop is a smash play for me.
In nine games without LeBron last season, Reaves averaged 6.6 rebounds and 8.3 assists (14.9 RA).
Once Luka Doncic joined the squad in March, Reaves went 6-0 vs. this RA prop in six non-LeBron games.
Regardless of personnel, Reaves is 3-2 vs. this prop in his past five matchups against the Golden State Warriors, which includes a 26-10-10 stat line on Christmas Day last season.
LeBron’s absence should allow Reaves to be more active as a passer and rebounder, as he’s demonstrated in the past.
NBA prop picks made at 3:03 p.m. ET on 10/20/2025.
NBA opening night arrives Tuesday with a doubleheader featuring four marquee franchises — and plenty of star players.
The latest: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder open their season at home against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. Later on, look for Austin Reaves to take on a bigger role in the absence of LeBron James.
Check out the best NBA prop bets for opening night on Oct. 21, featuring picks on SGA, Reaves and Alperen Sengun.
Facing what is likely the best defence in the NBA, Sengun has no business seeing an assist line this high.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had the league’s best defensive rating last year (106.6) while ranking No. 1 in steals (10.3/game) and No. 2 in blocks (5.7/game).
The defending champs are not a fun bunch to square up against.
Sengun could be tasked with heightened responsibilities as a passer this year, mind you. Fred VanVleet (knee) is out for the season, and last year, FVV was the only Houston player who outpaced Sengun in assists per game.
But Sengun’s 4.9 APG average in 2024-25 fell comfortably below what this line is asking of him. And in a daunting matchup, I just don’t see him getting it done.
Gilgeous-Alexander over 31.5 points (-114): Expect to see a lot of points props sitting around this number — and above — this season for Gilgeous-Alexander.
The reigning NBA scoring champ averaged 32.7 PPG last season in 76 games, marking his third consecutive year scoring 30+ points on a nightly basis.
SGA led the league in field goal attempts per game and made free throws.
Including the playoffs, SGA went 50-49 vs. this scoring prop last year.
The Houston Rockets ranked fifth in defensive rating last year, so this isn’t a plus matchup. But SGA is as matchup-proof as any scorer these days.
Over the two previous seasons, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 33.3 PPG vs. the Rockets and cashed this bet in five of eight meetings.
Reaves over 10.5 rebounds/assists (-106): Reaves averaged 10.3 rebounds/assists last season, which makes this line seem pretty fair from the outset.
But with LeBron (lower back) sidelined for the Lakers, the over on Reaves’ RA prop is a smash play for me.
In nine games without LeBron last season, Reaves averaged 6.6 rebounds and 8.3 assists (14.9 RA).
Once Luka Doncic joined the squad in March, Reaves went 5-1 vs. this RA prop in six non-LeBron games (finishing with exactly 10 RA in the one miss).
Regardless of personnel, Reaves is 3-2 vs. this prop in his past five matchups against the Golden State Warriors, which includes a 26-10-10 stat line on Christmas Day last season.
LeBron’s absence should allow Reaves to be more active as a passer and rebounder, as he’s demonstrated in the past.
NBA prop picks made at 1:56 p.m. ET on 10/20/2025.
The start of the 2025-26 NBA season is finally here.
The latest: The first night sees a pair of star-studded matchups. The Houston Rockets will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are fresh off their first title win since relocating from Seattle. After that, the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers face off, but L.A. will be without LeBron James. The Toronto Raptors get their season going against the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 22.
Check out the NBA schedule and betting odds for the first week of the season, beginning Oct. 21.
The defending champs welcome a familiar face to Paycom Center. Kevin Durant will make his debut as a member of the Rockets after he was traded there in a historic seven-team trade in the offseason. These were the top two teams in the Western Conference last year, but home court could play a big role here. OKC went 35-6 at home in 2024-25.
James will be absent in the opener due to an injury, but the Lakers still have an All-NBA-level talent in Luka Doncic. The Warriors are dealing with injury concerns, too, with Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler missing some time in the preseason. Both are expected to be healthy come opening night, and because of that, the Warriors are currently slight favourites at home.
Toronto plays the Hawks as part of a 12-game slate. Atlanta will debut Kristaps Porzingis, while Brandon Ingram is finally ready to suit up for the Raptors after being acquired at last year’s trade deadline.
The Eastern Conference is wide open, so an opening night win over another competitive team would go a long way for either squad.
Atop the East could very well be the Cavs and Knicks. With Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum both out for the foreseeable future, this could be an early Eastern Conference Finals preview.
Later on, the Spurs and Mavericks could steal the show. Victor Wembanyama is already one of the most impactful players in the NBA, while Dallas was rewarded in the NBA draft (by getting the pick to select Cooper Flagg) after savagely trading away Doncic.
Flagg is expected to immediately make a huge impact at both ends of the floor.
All but two teams will play in the first two nights.
The Indiana Pacers and the Denver Nuggets will need to wait until Thursday to get their seasons going.
Indiana will play OKC in a rematch of last year’s Finals, but the Pacers won’t have Haliburton after he suffered an Achilles injury in Game 7 of the Finals. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets visit the Warriors.
The Raptors play on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks and then close their opening week by getting their first look at Flagg and the Mavericks on Sunday.
The NBA is one of the most popular sports to wager on in Ontario, which is the largest betting market in Canada and home to the Toronto Raptors.
There are many ways to bet on the NBA at NorthStar Bets, which has markets ranging from point spreads to player props, as well as same-game parlays and futures.
-> New to NBA wagering? Sign up at NorthStar Betsto get the latest odds, insights and betting tools throughout the season.
-> New to NBA wagering? Sign up at NorthStar Betsto get the latest odds, insights and betting tools throughout the season.
For those new to betting or in need of a refresher, this how to bet on the NBA guide will run you through the biggest markets that basketball-loving bettors like to wager on.
How to bet on the NBA
You can pick teams to win straight up (wagering on the moneyline) or back them to win by a certain amount of points (spread betting). These are bets you can place before a game starts or after the opening tip-off in live betting markets.
For those more interested in predicting individual outputs, you can place bets on how many points, assists, or rebounds a player will record in a game. That’s when you wager on player props.
Let’s dive into some of these markets with an explainer on how to bet on NBA moneylines.
-> Before you get started, create your NorthStar Bets account to explore live odds and daily NBA markets.
-> Before you get started, create your NorthStar Bets accountto explore live odds and daily NBA markets.
Moneyline
Betting on the moneyline is more common in lower-scoring sports like hockey and baseball, but this is still a popular form of NBA betting as well.
A moneyline bet is as simple as it gets: you pick who you think will be the straight-up winner of a game. Each team is assigned different odds that can vary considerably since the likelihood of winning will differ greatly in a matchup between a last-place team versus a division leader.
A team that is favoured will have a minus (-) sign before its odds, while the underdog will have a plus (+) sign.
A favourite on the moneyline can see odds that reach -1,000 or even higher. A team’s implied odds, or probability of winning, would be 90 percent at -1,000 odds, meaning you would have to wager a significant amount to even return a small profit.
-> Want to see current NBA moneyline prices? Check the latest at NorthStar Bets
-> Want to see current NBA moneyline prices? Check the latest at NorthStar Bets
As a result, you would get large plus-money odds on the underdog (say +450) in this matchup. Odds of +450 would mean the team’s probability of winning would be less than 20 percent.
Here’s a look at how much you could win depending on certain odds:
Odds
Implied win probability
Wager amount
Win
-1,000
90.91%
$100
$10
-110
52.38%
$100
$90.91
+120
45.45%
$100
$120
+450
18.18%
$100
$450
There are other ways to pick winners as well, which will we check out in our next section and look at how to bet on NBA point spreads.
How to bet on NBA point spreads
Betting on the point spread is one of the most popular forms of NBA betting and requires a team to win or lose by a certain amount of points. A team that is favoured will have a minus (-) sign before the number that it must win by, while the underdog will have a plus (+) sign.
If the Raptors were playing the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road, they would surely be underdogs, so you would see a spread line that looks something like this: Raptors +10.5; Thunder -10.5. That means if you bet the Raptors +10.5, they would need to either win outright or lose by 10 points or fewer for you to cash your bet.
Alternatively, you would lose your bet if Boston won by nine points or more.
Most spreads are set at -110 odds for both teams. So under this scenario, both the Celtics -8.5 and Raptors +8.5 would have odds of -110. You can also bet on alternative spreads that come with different odds, which we will explain below.
-> Ready to try spread betting?Join NorthStar Bets and explore live, moving lines daily.
-> Ready to try spread betting? Join NorthStar Bets and explore live, moving lines daily.
Alternative spreads
Alternative spreads involve placing a wager on a number that’s different from the standard/main -110 line. For instance: Say the Raptors are 7.5-point favourites (-110) over the Wizards but you don’t like that number, you’d have the option to bet them at a different spread, be it higher or lower.
So you could bet the Raptors to cover a 5.5-point spread or -4.5, and so on, and pay more juice (give a larger cut to the sportsbook) instead of getting them at -7.5. You would see a smaller return because your odds (say -150) of winning would be higher for this bet type.
On the flip side, if you are confident in a blowout Raptors victory, you might elect to tack on more points for them to cover above the 7.5-point spread and get plus-money odds as a result. This would increase your profit if that ticket was successful.
If you liked Toronto to win by double-digits, you could bet the Raptors to win by 10-plus points (covering a 9.5-point spread) and get them at +140 odds, for instance.
How to bet on NBA totals
Along with spreads, betting on the total amount of points scored in a game is a really popular choice for basketball bettors. You will also see totals referred to as the over/under or O/U. All three terms are interchangeable.
Each game will come with a betting option where you can choose whether the two teams will combine to score more or fewer points than a certain number that is set. The over/under on the points total will typically be somewhere between 200 and 230 points.
Totals will vary from game to game depending on how good a team is offensively or defensively and who is available to play that game. If a star like LeBron James missed a game, that would have an impact on the total, spread and moneyline.
Like spreads, standard O/U odds are -110 for both sides.
If the total was set at 207.5 in that hypothetical game between the Raptors and Cavaliers, you would have the option to bet on whether the teams eclipse that number or fall short.
A combined total of 208 or more would cash the over, while a combined score of 207 or less would mean the under wins.
Alternative totals
Like spreads, you can bet alternative totals as well. You will have the option to bet on different numbers than the 207.5 O/U in the above example, but the odds would of course change. If you chose to bet on an alternative total of say 209.5 points, the odds would alter to something like -135 for the under and +120 for the over.
You could also bet on a lower total, and in this instance pay more juice for the over (the more likely outcome) and have a chance to net a higher payout on the under because your probability of winning would decrease.
Additionally, there are options to bet on team-specific totals as well.
You could, for instance, place a bet on the over/under of how many points you think just the Raptors would score in that game. You could also place a wager on the total, as well as moneyline and spread, for a specific quarter or half, which is known as a derivative bet.
Props
Player props involve betting on individual outcomes. These proposition bets provide users with a robust market option to choose from in addition to the outcome of a game.
You can place a bet on how many points you think Scottie Barnes will score in a game (over or under 20.5, for example), how many assists Immanuel Quickley will get, or whether or not you think RJ Barrett. will drill more than 2.5 three-pointers in a game.
Photo by Chris Young/CP.
You can also bet on a player’s combined point/rebound/assist total. This market can be attractive if you aren’t sold on betting on one specific category.
In this example, you might see Barnes’ PRA prop listed at 34.5, meaning he would have to accumulate a total of 35 combined points, rebounds, and assists for you to cash your bet if you selected the over.
There are also markets for team props and game props, such as which team will have the highest-scoring quarter.
-> Check out the latest player props every day at NorthStar Bets – from betting triple-doubles to points and more
-> Check out the latest player props every day at NorthStar Bets – from betting triple-doubles to points and more
Futures betting
The futures market involves betting on outcomes that will happen at a later time. This is a great chance to find value ahead of the season or early on before certain teams and players start pulling away as favourites and the odds change.
For instance, you could have gotten the Thunder at around +675 odds to win the NBA Finals ahead of last season, a number that was much lower by the time the playoffs started. That meant there was considerably less value to be found at that point compared to the preseason.
An OKC Finals futures ticket at +675 odds means that you would have netted $650 on a $100 wager.
Other common futures markets include betting on season-long awards such as the MVP or the Defensive Player of the Year, the NBA champion, division winners, and the over/under on a team’s win total.
The futures market is open throughout the season, so you can place these types of bets at any time but the odds are constantly changing based on performance and injury.
Parlays
A parlay consists of attaching two or more bets to a single ticket but only wagering once. You need every outcome (known as legs) of your parlay to win in order to cash your ticket.
The more bets you attach to a single ticket decreases your likelihood of winning but parlays are attractive to some because the payouts are bigger than a single-game wager.
An example of a parlay bet looks like this:
Legs
Odds
Raptors +7.5
-110
Wizards -6.5
-110
Celtics/Nuggets over 215.5 points
-110
That comes out to +596 odds. Again, you would need all three outcomes of that bet to be correct in order to win. A $100 wager would payout $695.79.
If you made $100 bets on each game as single-event wagers instead, you could profit $90.91 for each one or $272.73 total compared to $596 if they were parlayed.
You can also make a same-game parlay bet where you could combine a moneyline, over/under, player prop from a specific matchup. Like any parlay, these types of bets come with more risk because the probability of winning decreases the more bets you tack on the ticket.
In-game betting is growing in popularity and gives bettors an option to react to the results of a contest as it plays out in real-time.
Live betting can offer great value if, say, a big favourite falls behind early and its moneyline odds go from -120 to +120. If you believe the team will come back, you will net a higher return by betting on them mid-game than you would have before the contest started.
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-> Experience live NBA betting as it happens – sign up with NorthStar Bets and get in on every drive
Keep in mind: For heavy favourites, it will typically take quite a bit of time or a massive deficit before they turn into an underdog. That said, it would at least present an opportunity to back them to cover a smaller spread.
The odds are constantly changing throughout the game, so a big run or even a basket will alter the lines during play.
Many markets are available for in-game betting, including the moneyline, point spread and total.
-> Ready to put your NBA knowledge to use ? Sign up for NorthStar Bets to access live odds, props, parlays and exclusive Canadian Insights all season long
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NBA opening night is rapidly approaching, so let’s try to map how this season will play out.
The preseason narrative: San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama enters his third season and appears poised to take a massive leap. Among teams I’m most intrigued by: the on-the-rise Detroit Pistons, and the Dallas Mavericks, who will look to put the Luka Doncic era behind them by ushering in Cooper Flagg.
Check out my favourite NBA futures bets for the 2025-26 season, featuring a Finals pick and a 40-to-1 most improved player bet.
Maybe I’m being hyperbolic, but this feels like buying Bitcoin in 2015.
Wembanyama has a skill set unlike anyone in the NBA. The 7-foot-4 centre averaged 24.3 points and 11.0 rebounds in his sophomore season, where he shot 35.2% from deep on 8.8 attempts a night.
Having that type of 3-point production at that height is downright unfair.
Wemby would have also almost certainly won the defensive player of the year award had his season not been cut short due to blood clots. He averaged 3.7 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
Assuming he’s healthy, I envision a massive leap in production.
San Antonio has done a fantastic job of surrounding him with the talent necessary to contend in a deep Western Conference, which, right or wrong, is top of mind for MVP voters.
De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper make up a formidable backcourt trio, and that should stretch the floor for Wemby.
Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are going to put up gaudy numbers on great teams. But I really don’t think Wemby is far off from joining the elite of the elite.
You likely won’t see him priced like this to win the MVP before the season ever again.
The squad played with dogged intensity, ranking 10th in defensive rating and fifth in rebounding rate.
The Pistons have room to grow on offence. Three of their top five scorers (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren) were younger than 25 last year.
Assuming the team continues to buy in on the defensive end, I can see marginal improvements on offence leading to an even better 2025-26 season.
Mavericks to make playoffs (-134): Nico Harrison should be thanking his lucky stars that Dallas lucked backwards into the first overall pick and Cooper Flagg.
And no, it wasn’t a conspiracy, because Kyrie Irving had to tear his ACL for the Mavericks to fall outside of the playoff picture and into the draft lottery.
That’s partially why we can get these favourable odds, given Irving’s uncertain timetable.
But I’m confident the Mavs can tread water with D’Angelo Russell at point guard before Kyrie is back in the mix, likely around the new year.
Anthony Davis is a top-10 player in the NBA when healthy, and he’ll spearhead a bruising front-court trio alongside Flagg and Dereck Lively III.
Making the play-in has become far too easy in this league, but that’ll only help Dallas’ chances.
NBA Finals future pick
Thunder to win NBA Finals (+200)
This is as square as a pick can get, but if it hits, it hits.
The Thunder are fresh off one of the greatest seasons of all time. They won 68 regular-season games and posted the second-best net rating (+12.8) behind only the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.
And much like that Michael Jordan-led Bulls team, OKC won the NBA Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the best scorer in the league, but the Canadian is just the tip of the iceberg.
Sam Presti’s pick-hoarding rebuild strategy has led to players like Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Lu Dort, all of whom were integral pieces of the title run. And all of whom returned for the 2025-26 season.
The scariest part is that OKC’s 2024 first-round pick, Nikola Topic, didn’t even play last year. He should add another element to the squad, in addition to two 2025 first-round picks (Thomas Sorber, Nique Clifford).
Depth wins championships, and no team is deeper than the Thunder.
That’s because he only played 53 games, which is below the league minimum of 65 required to qualify for awards.
Is it risky backing a player coming off a torn rotator cuff in his shooting arm to win this award? Sure. But Murphy was trending toward being an elite bucket getter last season, and I think that can continue.
The New Orleans Pelicans traded away Brandon Ingram, meaning Murphy will continue to have a heavy shot volume behind Zion Williamson.
If he can stack up a few more assists and get into 25-5-5 territory, I love his chances of being in the hunt for this award.
NBA futures picks made at 4:30 p.m. ET on 10/17/2025.
