NBA picks today: Best bets and predictions for every game | Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Three games unfastened the 2026-27 NBA season connected Tuesday, headlined by LeBron James making his Philadelphia 76ers debut against the defending champion New York Knicks connected banner nighttime astatine Madison Square Garden.

Detroit Pistons big Boston Celtics successful the day opener, and the nightcap brings past May's Western Conference finalists look to look again successful San Antonio.

Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons

Detroit led the Eastern Conference with 60 wins past play and big a Boston broadside fielding Paul George, Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley unneurotic for the archetypal time.

The lone wounded interest heading successful is Devin Carter, who is questionable with illness, portion Jalen Duren returns to the Pistons rotation afloat prepared aft resolving his summertime declaration standoff this month.

Detroit won 3 of their 4 regular-season meetings with Boston past word and transportation a deeper frontcourt with John Collins alongside Duren.

Pistons -1.5 backs the location side's settled rotation and their familiarity with this fixture implicit a Celtics radical inactive uncovering its caller combinations connected opening night.

For elaborate subordinate props and a people prediction, work our Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons preview.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks

New York assistance their archetypal title banner since 1973 astatine Madison Square Garden earlier facing a 76ers broadside lining up LeBron James alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown for the archetypal clip competitively.

Ariel Hukporti is retired for the play aft rupturing his Achilles successful the preseason, portion Josh Hart carries a probable tag for the hosts with an ankle complaint.

Philadelphia posted a -0.1 nett standing connected the roadworthy past play against New York's +6.4 astatine home, and the Knicks instrumentality an fundamentally intact title-winning rotation anchored by Finals MVP Jalen Brunson.

Knicks -5.5 backs the much cohesive, better-rested broadside astatine location successful a fixture wherever familiarity counts from the opening tip.

For the afloat breakdown including subordinate props, work our Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks preview.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

San Antonio big the squad they eliminated successful 7 games successful past May's Western Conference finals, with some sides carrying changes since that series.

Chet Holmgren is day-to-day with a quad wounded for Oklahoma City, portion Tobias Harris is acceptable to miss the opener for San Antonio with a calf strain that kept him retired of each preseason fixture.

Oklahoma City shed Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins during the summer, losing adjacent to 30 points per crippled of combined accumulation and thinning their options connected the wing.

San Antonio confirmed a settled three-guard starting 5 passim the preseason, and Spurs -2.5 backs that continuity alongside location vantage against a Thunder rotation inactive uncovering its shape.

For an in-depth look astatine the lineups and subordinate props, work our San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder preview.