The NBA Preseason is about to conclude and we’re several days away from the 2021-22 NBA Season. We’ve seen plenty of changes happen in the offseason, including surprising player and team news. That said, everyone is excited about what’s about to come, and we start things off by sharing five of the most anticipated games in the first week.

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Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks

• When: Tuesday, October 19th, 2021. 7:30pm ET
• Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• TV: TNT
• Radio: WFAN 101.9 FM (Nets) // WTMJ 620 AM (Bucks)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: TBA

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of the defending champions line up to take on the Brooklyn Nets in Week 1. The two teams produced some of the most exciting moments in the previous playoffs and gave us seven games of edge-of-your-seat action. Eventually, the Bucks found their way to send home one of the biggest favorites to win the season and secure a spot in the Finals.

With a fresh slate, we expect the Nets to go all-in on this one. In their most recent preseason meeting, the Nets found a way to outpace the Bucks in the fourth quarter and delivered a 115-110 victory in front of their home crowd. The starters played a fair share of minutes, including Kevin Durant who led his team with 18 points.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee took a back seat and let their starters do the grind. Jordan Nwora recorded a team-high 30 points on top of 8 rebounds and 2 assists, whie Sandro Mamukelashvili and Elijah Bryand produced 20 and 21 points, respectively.

However, it’s going to be a different ball game once Milwaukee’s starters enter the floor and take home-court advantage, making it one of the most anticipated games of the opening week.

Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers

• When: Tuesday, October 19th, 2021. 10:00pm ET
• Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
• TV: TNT
• Radio: 95.7 The Game FM (Warriors) // 710 ESPNLA AM (Lakers)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: TBA

Everybody loves a LeBron and Steph Curry matchup, and Week 1 brings us just that. On October 19, the Lakers host the Warriors at the Staples Center. With a heavily revamped lineup, everyone wants to see how the Showtime Lakers perform this season. Newly acquired veterans Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, and Rajon Rondo give the team more depth and experience, while rookie Austin Reaves opens up the young talent pool for the team.

In their previous preseason meeting, the Warriors secured the 111-99 victory to stretch their winning streak to four games. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 37 points but failed to contain an aggressive Warriors offense. Andrew Wiggins had 12 points in the game, while Jordan Poole topped the team with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. In addition, the duo of Damion Lee and Otto Porter Jr. found 16 points each to help the Warriors pull away.

Steve Kerr is a master of his craft, and having a healthier and well-rested squad should give him more firepower this season. We are unlikely to see Steph Curry suit up in their last preseason game, but we anticipate his presence to lift the team even further once they get the ball rolling. Dennis Schroder is the biggest addition to the squad.

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks

• When: Wednesday, October 20th, 2021. 7:30pm ET
• Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub FM (Celtics) // 104.5 The Team FM (Knicks)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: TBA

There’s a deep-rooted rivalry between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics, and the Madison Square Garden crowd gears up for an enthralling opening game. During the offseason, the Boston Celtics handed over coaching duties to Ime Udoka following the departure of Brad Stevens. This is an interesting move as it can restore the offensive prowess lost throughout the years and their lack of competitive edge in the playoffs.

Additionally, the franchise made some big moves to fill the void left by Kemba Walker. In return, Dennis Schroder takes over starting point guard duties following his one-year stint with the Lakers.

Meanwhile, the Knicks are fired up after a playoff appearance last season. The rest of the team looks forward to an improved performance alongside an updated roster. Now, the team employs the services of two ex-Celtics players Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. Although the latter failed to log significant minutes for his previous team, the Frenchman produced good numbers in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and helped his team to a third-place finish.

Despite underperforming in the recent playoffs, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and Derrick Rose get more help and a deeper bench squad head coach Tom Thibodeau can rely on. On Wednesday, we get to see how the new additions affect the team and their overall performance.

Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns

• When: Wednesday, October 20th, 2021. 10:00pm ET
• Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM (Nuggets) // KTAR 98.7 FM (Suns)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: TBA

Another matchup from the 2020-21 playoffs is featured in Week 1 as the Nuggets hit the road to face the Suns at the Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona. The Nuggets were one of the unfortunate teams that ended their 2021 playoff run because of a key injury. Without Jamal Murray, MVP Nikola Jokic could only put in so much effort. Their offense was held back so much that the Suns swept them in the conference semifinals.

The offseason welcomed the arrival of Jeff Green into the Nuggets’ squad, and we anticipate his shooting skills to come into play right away. Marcus Howard and Michael Porter re-signed and gave the organization more peace of mind.

At the other end of a court is a hungry Phoenix Suns squad. The team came close to winning their franchise’s first-ever NBA title and hopes to sustain the momentum after racing the NBA Finals in the 2020-21 NBA season This time around, they come back even better with former Denver Nuggets players Javale McGee filling in the gaps.

It’s exciting to see the two teams share the court after a great showing in the playoffs, and we are sure to see the improvements or changes that both teams have to undertake once they take the first few steps.

Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls

• When: Saturday, October 23rd, 2021. 8:00pm ET
• Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
• TV: NBCSCH, BSDET+
• Radio: 97.1 FM The Ticket (Pistons) // 670 AM The Score (Bulls)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: TBA

The Bulls have one of the most anticipated lineups this season following major acquisitions. It’s been a while since Chicago fans were this excited, but thanks to a busy offseason, the franchise is now expected to fight for a playoff spot this time around. Point guard Lonzo Ball makes his way to the team from the Pelicans, while DeMar DeRozan ends his three-year run with Greg Popovich and the Spurs., Alex Caruso departs the Lakers to work alongside Bulls superstar Zach LaVine. Furthermore, another blockbuster move highlights Nikola Vucevic ending his six-year run with the Orlando Magic to head in a different direction.

This is a good test for the newly-assembled Bulls squad. But make no mistake, the Pistons are no pushovers. The team recently had the pleasure of making the first pick in the first round of the draft, and they selected point guard Cade Cunningham from Oklahoma State. As always, everyone has high hopes for the first pick and we know that the first week of games will not disappoint enthusiastic basketball fans and bettors alike.

READ MORE: 2022 NBA Championship Odds, Preview and Predictions

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