The NBA’s opening week rolls on Wednesday with a two-game ESPN doubleheader, and both matchups carry real intrigue for bettors looking to get an early read on the 2026-27 season.

Things tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET in South Florida, where the Minnesota Timberwolves open their season against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Minnesota is coming off a 49-win campaign that ended with a second-round exit, and they’ll be looking to start fast on the road before a quick trip up to Orlando on Friday.

The nightcap is the headliner. The Golden State Warriors visit the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. ET in a rivalry game that’s been lopsided lately. The Lakers took three of four meetings last season and enter as roughly five-point home favorites, while Golden State is trying to bounce back from a 37-45 season that left them out of the playoffs.

We break down our best bets for both games below, with odds, analysis, and picks for Wednesday night. Basketball season is the perfect time to get into betting, as bet365 offers new users a special promo: Bet $10, get $200 win or lose!

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Hawks vs. Magic odds

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Hawks vs. Magic best bet

Nickeil Alexander-Walker took a massive leap last season. He won Most Improved Player after averaging 20.8 points in 33.4 minutes a night, more than doubling his scoring output from his final year in Minnesota. He also knocked down nearly 40% of his 3s and made 90% of his free throws, so he can score in a few different ways.

His role only grew after Atlanta traded Trae Young to Washington at the deadline. With Young gone, Alexander-Walker became a go-to option next to Jalen Johnson, and he has a strong history against Orlando. Back in March, he dropped 41 points on the Magic in a 124-112 win.

There’s some risk here. Orlando’s defense is physical, and the Hawks added Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins this offseason, so his shots could be spread around a bit more early on. He also sat out a preseason game with a minor issue. That said, this line is set two points below what he averaged last season, and he should still have the ball in his hands plenty in the opener. I’ll lay the juice and back him to get to 19.

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Timberwolves vs. Heat odds

Timberwolves vs. Heat best bet

I like Minnesota to open the season with a road win in Miami. The Timberwolves won 49 games last season, six more than the Heat, and they have the personnel to give Miami’s defense real problems.

Anthony Edwards is the best offensive player on the floor in this one, and now he has LaMelo Ball next to him. Ball gives Minnesota another dynamic scorer who can also run the offense, which should ease pressure on Edwards and make the Timberwolves tougher to guard.

My biggest concern with Miami is how long it’ll take this new group to come together. Adding Giannis Antetokounmpo is a massive upgrade, no doubt. But fitting a player like that into a new system takes time, especially on offense, and opening night is usually where those growing pains show up.

Minnesota has gone through some changes too, so I don’t expect a perfectly clean game from them either. Still, I trust Edwards and Ball to create enough offense to get this one done. At this price, I’d rather take the Timberwolves to win outright than mess with the spread.

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Pacers vs. Pelicans odds

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Pacers vs. Pelicans best bet

Tyrese Haliburton is finally back. He missed all of last season after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, and the Pacers fell apart without him, finishing 19-63. Before the injury, he averaged 9.2 assists in an All-NBA season, so this line is set right around where he lived when healthy.

The preseason was encouraging. After a minor ankle tweak, he came back and scored 24 points in 18 first-half minutes against Oklahoma City, and he looked like his old self. He also has a new pick-and-roll partner in Ivica Zubac, plus Kelly Oubre Jr. running the floor, so he has more finishers around him than the Pacers had for most of last season.

The matchup helps too. New Orleans won just 26 games last season, and this game has one of the highest totals on the board at 239.5. More possessions mean more chances for Haliburton to rack up dimes.

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Warriors vs. Lakers best bet

The Warriors start the season shorthanded. Jimmy Butler is still working his way back from a torn ACL, and Moses Moody is out after season-ending knee surgery. That takes away two of Golden State’s best wings, and Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will have to carry much more of the load than they’d like on opening night.

Golden State also had a hard time scoring inside last season, ranking near the bottom of the league in points in the paint. That’s a tough problem to solve against Walker Kessler, who the Lakers brought in to protect the rim next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The Lakers overhauled their roster this summer, and Reaves is the only player from their top seven in playoff minutes who’s still around. Kessler also played just five games last season after shoulder surgery, so it might take some time for this group to come together.

Even so, Doncic is the best player on the floor by a wide margin, and he finally has a roster built around him. The Warriors don’t have enough healthy bodies to keep up for 48 minutes, so I’ll lay the points with the Lakers at home.

Best NBA player props for Wednesday

This is a long shot, but I like the price. Haliburton made it clear this offseason that he felt slighted by the NBA starting his comeback with a random road game in New Orleans instead of a national TV spot or a home crowd. That kind of frustration usually comes out on the court, and I expect him to play with something to prove.

The setup is ideal too. This game has the highest total on the board and one of the fastest paces of the night. He’s moved past that minor ankle tweak, and there’s no minutes restriction holding him back. He only needs a big shooting night to get there, and at better than 3-to-1, I’ll take a small shot on Haliburton reminding everyone he’s still a star.

Doncic averaged 8.3 assists last season while sharing the floor with LeBron James, and now the Lakers’ offense is fully his. With James in Philadelphia, there’s one less elite creator taking touches away from him, and the front office built this roster around his game.

The biggest addition for this prop is Walker Kessler. Doncic has never really had a true lob threat at center in Los Angeles, and the 7-foot-2 big man should give him an easy target in the pick-and-roll. Kessler looked sharp in his preseason debut, and the Lakers were much better with him on the floor.

That said, this line is juiced for a reason. Doncic won the scoring title last season, so there will be nights when he looks for his own shot first. Austin Reaves will also handle the ball plenty. Still, Golden State’s thin wing rotation should make it easier for Doncic to collapse the defense and find open shooters. I’ll pay the price and back him to get to eight.