As there always is with the closeness of a new season, the 2023/24 NBA season has got fans hyped about what might potentially happen when each franchise takes to the hardwood courts and competes with each other.
Will the Denver Nuggets be able to retain their maiden NBA Championship and make it back-to-back successes? Will Joel Embiid be the Most Valuable Player (MVP) once again? Or, will Victor Wembanyama be able to hit the immediate heights that so many believe he is capable of achieving in his rookie year at the San Antonio Spurs?
All these questions and more will have fans speculating as the season draws closer, with many even taking a look at the latest betting odds to give themselves a better idea of what the sportsbooks believe might happen. Given that they use statistical models and historical data, they do not often get things too wrong and regularly provide an insight that many like to consider across a variety of sporting events.
The 2023/24 NBA season will be very different to any other
Although it can be very easy to get lost in the excitement ahead of the upcoming campaign and the fact that it is edging ever closer with its October 24 start date, fans would do well to remember that this year’s season is going to be very different to any other that has been experienced in recent memory.
The NBA has introduced a new competition format to try and help add value to its product, and make the sport more appealing to those who may not have as much interest in it. The 2023/24 NBA season will see the inclusion of the In-Season Tournament which will see each of the 30 organizations compete for the NBA Cup during the winter months.
This competition is scheduled to take place between November and December, and will see teams compete in a tournament that is separate from the main NBA Championship. Basketball players on the winning team have already been told they will receive $500,000 each, while the team will be crowned the NBA Cup winners. Games will begin to be played in divisions that have been randomly drawn, before a single-game elimination bracket knockout phase is played to determine the eventual winner.
2023/24 NBA Season proper: Who are the favorites?
Despite the appeal of the new competition, most eyes will be on the main NBA season, with most likely to have already been trying to gauge who the favorites are and what their NBA odds might be. According to Unibet Sport odds, the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks are thought to have the best chance this year, with both valued at 5.00 ahead of the season’s beginning.
The Celtics arguably have one of the best rosters in the whole NBA at the moment, and with their opener against the New York Knicks on the road on October 25, many expect them to challenge from the very onset. The Bucks will begin at home on October 26 as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Denver Nuggets are expected to put up a good fight to retain their title, as they are valued at a price of 5.50 alongside the Phoenix Suns. Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are both 15.00.
What is each team’s opening fixture of the 2023/24 NBA Season?
While a lot can still be left to be understood from preseason, there are some who might feel that it is possible to try and predict what might happen throughout the rest of the season once the first game of the 2023/24 NBA season has been played. The schedule for each team’s first fixture is as follows…
- Denver Nuggets vs LA Lakers
- Golden State Warriors vs Phoenix Suns
- Charlotte Hornets vs Atlanta Hawks
- Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards
- Orlando Magic vs Houston Rockets
- New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Toronto Raptors vs Minnesota Timberwolves
- Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons
- Memphis Grizzlies vs New Orleans Pelicans
- Chicago Bulls vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Utah Jazz vs Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks
- Los Angeles Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers
- Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers
There are some quality matchups already scheduled for Game 1 of the NBA season and fans will be excited to see many of them play out. Whether they will be an indicator of what to expect for the rest of the 2023/24 season, though, might be something that fans may not want to look too much into immediately.
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