<p>The 2025 NBA preseason continues on October 17, with the action not slowing down. As we know, this is just a taster of what to expect when the regular season gets underway, with several matches being played daily due to the league’s 82-game season.</p> <p>We’ve seen plenty of action already, and Friday will bring us some more to sink our teeth into, including some of the teams to watch if betting on the <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba-futures/nba-futures-2026-9324399">NBA Championship Winner odds</a>.</p> <h2>NBA Preseason October 17 Betting Preview</h2> <p>A clutch of games is scheduled to take place on October 17, with Friday featuring five matches for bettors to consider in the lead-up to the NBA regular season. These games include:</p> <ul> <li>Detroit Pistons vs Washington Wizards (09:00 AEST)</li> <li>Orlando Magic vs New Orleans Pelicans (09:00 AEST)</li> <li>Atlanta Hawks vs Houston Rockets (09:30 AEST)</li> <li>Chicago Bulls vs Minnesota Timberwolves (10:00 AEST)</li> <li>Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers (11:00 AEST)</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If you’re looking at the outsiders in the NBA Championship winner odds market, then you’ll notice four of them are involved in the action. The Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves are all priced similarly in the preseason odds, which is attracting interest.</p> <p>The games that involve these teams will naturally capture the eyes of bettors, as they can provide additional value ahead of the regular season.&nbsp;</p> <p>Additionally, the five fixtures also involve five teams that aren’t thought to have any chance of being the winners of the NBA Finals 2026. The Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, and Portland Trail Blazers are all judged to have a similar chance of winning (none), with the Detroit Pistons sitting in middle ground.</p> <p>Still, value can be had across these games…</p> <h2>NBA Preseason October 17 Betting Predictions</h2> <p>As always, we have listed many markets on our <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba-preseason-matches">NBA preseason match betting odds</a> page for all matches to be played, including those on October 17. Our top NBA betting predictions for these games include:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Magic to win</strong> - The Magic are 3-0 entering this game; they have been consistent with their scoring, so expect them to exceed 120 points in the game.</li> <li><strong>Rockets to beat Hawks</strong> - Played recently, with the Rockets winning 122-113. Alperen Şengün had 19 points; expect him to score 15+ points again after scoring 13 against the Jazz (he also had 13 assists).</li> <li><strong>Timberwolves to cover</strong> - Bulls and Timberwolves should be a close game; expect the Timberwolves to cover on the handicaps where totals are low. Additionally, expect the game to go ‘Over’ the total points mark as both have strong scoring tendencies and use pace to their advantage.</li> <li><strong>Trail Blazers over Jazz</strong> - The Jazz are winless in preseason, although the last two matches have been close. The Trail Blazers have been inconsistent, but have kept games close; expect them to edge this one.</li> </ul>