The Houston Rockets will visit the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the first game of the 2025-26 NBA season on Tuesday night. OKC is aiming to make a statement to start their title defense against a Rockets team that will look a lot different with Kevin Durant joining them. Before tip-off from Oklahoma City, continue reading to get my Rockets vs Thunder prediction.
Our Rockets vs Thunder Pick
- Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder -7.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Houston Rockets @ Oklahoma City Thunder
- Date & Time: Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
- Broadcast: NBC/Peacock
Key Storylines
This is ring night for the Thunder after they won the NBA championship a season ago. It is always interesting to see how a team plays after the emotional ceremony where they have a championship banner raised.
This OKC team had done a great job of not letting this distract them in other situations, but we’ve never seen them in this situation either. Oklahoma City had the top home record in the NBA at 35-6 last year. They could be even better this season with championship experience under their belt and their young core continuing to develop.
Houston made a splash in the offseason. The arrival of Kevin Durant gives them a legitimate go-to star alongside young star Alperen Şengün. The Rockets won 52 games last season but lost veteran guard Fred VanVleet to an ACL injury. They will have to answer questions about guard scoring and perimeter defense without him and Dillon Brooks.
Houston’s with Durant and Şengün gives them size, finesse, and physicality all at once. But questions remain about their chemistry, perimeter defense, and how quickly they can turn their potential into consistent performance. This game will be a tough test against a Thunder team whose frontcourt is similarly constructed with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.
There will also be eyes on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in his return to the court after winning MVP and FInals MVP last year. SGA had a huge year last year and is expected to be great again this year for OKC. It will be interesting to see how he starts his year on this huge stage on opening night.
Best Player Props to Watch
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Kevin Durant (HOU) | Under 23.5 Points |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | Over 31.5 Points |
| Amen Thompson (HOU) | Over 4.5 Assists |
Rockets vs Thunder Model Projection
Score Projection: Houston Rockets 106 – Oklahoma City Thunder 117
Win Probability: Rockets 25%, Thunder 75%
Final Thoughts
I could not be more excited for the return of the NBA on Tuesday night. It will be fascinating to see how Durant looks in his debut with the Rockets. But I don’t think that game will go all that well for Houston. OKC is incredible defensively and should make life miserable on a Rockets lineup that will be learning how to work together with Durant in the picture. I’ll lay the points with OKC here and I expect them to get their title defense off to a strong start.
