There are high expectations for the Houston Rockets entering the 2026-2027 season, and their first 10 games could put them in a favorable position in the Western Conference by mid-November.
Their upcoming opponents include the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Phoenix Suns.
The Mavericks, Suns, Hawks, and Bucks will all be looking to prove that they can secure a playoff spot, while the Celtics and Timberwolves are arguably at a similar level to the Rockets. The reigning Western Conference champion Spurs and Thunder are the only true juggernauts among those opponents.
Although Fred VanVleet will change Houston’s dynamics on the court, Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson have all had the previous season to develop chemistry. Their preseason performances didn’t raise any concerns either.
Based on their first 10 games, the Rockets can be expected to finish with a 6-4 record. Houston should be favored in a majority of the matchups, though the back-to-backs may be tough, with head coach Ime Udoka likely to err on the side of caution with VanVleet returning from injury.
Here are the opinions from other writers at OnSi.
Austin Dobbins
“The Houston Rockets will face a pretty average strength of schedule to begin the 2026/27 season, but plenty of challenges will present themselves, including contests with the Thunder, Spurs, Celtics, and Timberwolves. The Rockets will face three inferior opponents in Dallas (twice), Milwaukee, and Phoenix, while also facing the Hawks twice. With this schedule I will predict the Rockets to go 6-4. Houston must win a playoff series this year, and a 6-4 start would put them on a solid track, especially if they can prove to compete with the West's best.”
Ethan J. Skolnick
"You want to test yourself early, especially when you're healthy, as the Rockets currently are, and the tests will come quickly, with San Antonio, Boston, Oklahoma City and Minnesota all in the first 10. You want to split those, at worst, while cleaning up against Dallas (two games) and Milwaukee. The key to the start may come down to two games against Atlanta, who may be a little overlooked after a late-season run. It's conceivable the Rockets could be better than 6-4, but you'd likely take that, as long as it looks like they can compete with the three other top-end teams in the West. There's a perception that there's separation between the Thunder and Spurs and the Rockets, but Houston didn't commit to its young core and go get Kevin Durant to finish a distant third. If they're 7-3 out of this, then the optimism can start to grow."
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