The long offseason is finally over, and the 2025–26 NBA campaign is here.
Opening night brings high-stakes matchups, renewed rivalries, and plenty of intrigue as new contenders emerge and familiar powers fight to reclaim their ground. For Los Angeles Lakers fans, anticipation is as high as ever. Not only are they the Lakers faithfully wondering how to bet on the NBA season, but they’re also curious about how this year’s Laker team will perform without LeBron James in the lineup. However, even without LeBron James to start the year, the franchise opens at home under the bright lights of Crypto.com Arena, facing their old rivals, the Golden State Warriors.
Los Angeles’s season launch this year carries added weight. The Lakers enter a transition phase, led by Luka Dončić in his first full season wearing purple and gold. With James sidelined until mid-November, this early stretch will be about establishing rhythm, testing depth, and proving they can still compete in a loaded Western Conference.
Lakers Open Against Warriors
The Lakers will take the floor Monday night against a familiar foe in Golden State. The Curry-versus-LeBron storyline will wait for another day, but there’s no lack of star power. Dončić anchors Los Angeles’s offense with a creative mix of scoring and playmaking, while Anthony Davis remains the defensive cornerstone. Jaxson Hayes and Austin Reaves will play key supporting roles, as the Lakers aim to slow Stephen Curry and a reloaded Warriors core featuring Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
The Warriors are slight favorites entering the night, listed at -120 at Stake.com Sportsbook. Golden State’s veteran group has the edge in chemistry, but Los Angeles plans to match that with energy and pace. Expect Lakers coach JJ Redick to rely on a shorter rotation early, giving Reaves and Rui Hachimura extended minutes to test combinations alongside Dončić.
The matchup marks a turning point for the franchise. After consecutive playoff disappointments, the front office rebuilt around Dončić’s strengths, adding perimeter spacing and younger legs to complement him and LeBron James. Opening night will be their first full test under this new identity.
Western Power Balance Shifts
The Western Conference landscape feels different this fall. Oklahoma City remains the defending champion and clear favorite to repeat after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP season. Their first test comes earlier tonight against the Houston Rockets, now featuring Kevin Durant. But while much of the attention stays on OKC’s title defense, the Lakers see opportunity.
Denver remains strong behind Nikola Jokic, and Minnesota’s young core continues to grow, but the door isn’t closed. Los Angeles believes it can rejoin the contending class if Davis stays healthy and Dončić continues to evolve into an elite two-way leader. Early-season wins will be critical in shaping that path.
Analysts expect the Lakers to hover early in the fifth and seventh seed range, with the potential to climb higher once James returns. His presence will shorten learning curves and boost spacing, particularly in late-game situations where his decision-making is unmatched. Until then, how the team performs through the first 15 games may determine whether they chase home-court advantage or fight to stay above .500.
League-Wide Opening Night Storylines
While the Lakers-Warriors clash headlines the West Coast, the earlier game in Oklahoma City has its own drama. Durant returns to face the team that drafted him, watching the Thunder’s ring ceremony before leading his new Rockets squad onto the floor. That storyline alone makes opening night one of the most anticipated in years.
Oddsmakers favor the Thunder at home over the Rockets. A potential playoff preview, the matchup pits Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson against Gilgeous-Alexander and rising star Chet Holmgren. The night sets the standard for a balanced, competitive season where several teams can make a serious championship push.
NBA Title Favorites and Key Awards
Heading into the new season, Oklahoma City sits atop the futures board at +400 odds to win back-to-back titles. Denver follows at +750, while Cleveland leads the East with +900. New York and Houston round out the top five. Sitting around +1200, the Lakers remain among the second-tier favorites—solid value for a team whose ceiling hinges on health and chemistry.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks to repeat as MVP in the individual races, followed closely by Jokic and Dončić. With LeBron sidelined early, Dončić’s odds at +500 position him as the most likely first-time winner. A strong start could put him firmly in the conversation by December.
Ex-Laker Anthony Davis, meanwhile, enters as a leading Defensive Player of the Year candidate, especially after missing much of last season’s final stretch. Victor Wembanyama is the clear favorite at +150, but if Davis anchors a top-five defense, he will be in that discussion again.
Lakers Legacy and Opening Night History
Few franchises carry the Opening Night tradition like the Lakers. Los Angeles has long used season openers as statements from Elgin Baylor’s 52-point debut in 1959 to Magic Johnson’s showtime introductions in the 1980s. This year may not feature vintage LeBron James heroics, but it carries similar weight: a new era defined by Dončić’s creativity.
Fans remember that the road to championships often begins with imperfect starts. This season, the challenge is to blend star power and modern offense quickly enough to keep pace with younger, deeper rosters around the league. With national eyes on Los Angeles Monday night, this team has a chance to remind the NBA that championship expectations still live in purple and gold.
Looking Ahead
After Golden State, the Lakers face Denver, Phoenix, and Sacramento in quick succession—a brutal early stretch that will test their chemistry. Survive that, and they could build momentum before LeBron’s return. For now, the focus is simple: compete, defend, and prove the Lakers belong back in the title conversation. Opening night may only be one game, but for Los Angeles, it feels like the start of something bigger—a chance to reassert their identity in a conference full of challengers and skeptics alike.