The 2025-26 NBA regular season kicks off with a Western Conference showdown, featuring the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets will visit Paycom Center on Tuesday, October 21, to lock horns with the reigning champions, Thunder. Both teams enter the brand new season of the league with high expectations and new hopes.
The Rockets will feature their newest acquisition, Kevin Durant, who was traded from the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster trade. They will aim for a better campaign than last year, which ended with a 4-3 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the opening round.
The OKC Thunder, on the other hand, will be high on confidence considering they are the 2025 champions with a core led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Considering their previous campaign, the Thunder are favorites to kick off their 2025-26 campaign with a bang.
Here are a couple of same-game parlays for the season opener between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets, sourced from BetMGM.
Oklahoma City Thunder Moneyline (-300) + Shai Gilgeous Alexander to Score 30+ Points (-190) + Kevin Durant Under 25.5 Points (-135)
Total Parlay Odds: +230
Taking the Thunder to win with -300 moneyline odds seems to be a safe bet considering their homecourt advantage as well as championship pedigree. The Thunder were 32-8 at home, which showcases their sheer dominance at Paycom Center, while the Rockets were 23-17 on the road. It indicates Houston’s early struggles in away games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring over 30 points can be wagered without much anticipation. In the previous season, the reigning MVP averaged 32.7 games with a total of 49 30+ point games. He thrives in big games and is expected to exploit the rivals’ defense.
For the Rockets, Kevin Durant is one of the top scoring options. He averaged 26.6 points last season. However, we can expect him to take some time to adjust with new teammates, and hence, get to a slow start in the season opener.
Alperen Sengun to Record 10+ Rebounds (-140) + Isaiah Hartenstein Under 9.5 Rebounds (-130) + Shai Gilgeous Alexander to Record 7+ Assists (-185)
Total Parlay Odds: +320
As a primary big man for the Houston Rockets, Alperen Sengun is primed for a remarkable night during the season opener. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 10.3 rebounds per game, including 3.4 offensive rebounds, and 6.9 defensive rebounds. In the 2025-26 preseason, he has shown aggressive approach, grabbing 22 rebounds across three games. We can expect him to carry the momentum during the regular season as well.
Isaiah Hartenstein, who is entering his second NBA campaign with the Thunder, posted an average of 10.7 rebounds in the previous season. However, Houston’s solid depth might limit Hartenstein under on Tuesday.
TOP 10 PLAYS OF THE 2025 PRESEASON 💥
— NBA (@NBA) October 18, 2025
10. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
9. Jase Richardson
8. Olivier Sarr
7. Trey Murphy III
6. Wendell Moore Jr.
5. Stephon Castle
4. Ousmane Dieng
3. Johnny Furphy
2. LaMelo Ball
1. Cason Wallace pic.twitter.com/4WT13LCFIm
Shai Gilegous-Alexander, apart from leading the team in scoring, also topped charts in assists with an average of 6.4 assists per game. Given his home-court dominance, 7+ assists seems to be a smart pick.
Here are some of the best player props for the regular season opener between Thunder and Rockets’ game as per BetMGM.
Chet Holmgren U 16.5 Points: -120
Amen Thompson Under 1.5 Blocks: -235
Kevin Durant Over 2.5 3PM: -135
Alperen Sengun Under 6.5 Assists: -145
Chet Holmgren averaged 15.0 points per game during the last season. In the opener, OKC’s pace control and home focus on team ball could lead to him scoring on the same lines and score under 16.5 points.
Amen Thompson, who has emerged a reliable defender for his team, averaged 1.3 blocks per game during the previous season. As he and the Rockets face quick guards like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the season opener, Thompson’s rim protection chances could be limited to him finishing with less than 1.5 blocks.
Kevin Durant managed to hit 2.6 threes for 43.0% percentage in the last season for the Phoenix Suns. We can expect Durant to take charge for his new team right from the beginning and exploit Thunder’s perimeter defense.
In addition, Alperen Sengun averaged 4.9 assists per game in the 2024-25 season. With the season just getting started, we can expect him to start slow record assists around this average.
The odds given above have been sourced from BetMGM. Use BetMGM to ace your betting game in all sports!
Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.
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