ESPN’s 2025 summer forecast has answered some of the biggest questions of the league, going to the 80th season of the NBA and has given its predictions for the league Biggest question And awardsimultaneously East and West StandingHe will now forecast conference champions and final winners.

In this season, Oklahoma City Thunder After 2018, we will look at the back-to-back champion and seven directly to break the streak of different champions, but there will be a lot of challenging.

Cleavland cavelersAfter boasting the second-secretary regular-season records in the previous season, only behind the Thunder, will be battling at an injury-riddled eastern conference. Although, new York KnicksAfter hiring Mike Brown as his new coach, this offsen also has a lot of postsen experiences to carry forward.

We asked our experts to rank their top options for East and West-and the final NBA champions secure five points with the vote of the first place, securing votes in each other and securing three and third place votes.

Here are the results:

Who will win the Eastern Conference Final?

1. Cleavland cavelers, 98 points

2. new York Knicks, 72 digits

3. Orlando magic, 21 points

4. Milwouki box, 7 points

5. Indiana Pacers, 3 points

Caves are not really starting the season with speed, with the beginning Deryas garland And Max Strus For out Extended period After offsen foot surgery. But the finals of the conference are set a long way, and if they are healthy, their full roster should be kept as a favorite.

One thing that should be considered in the present era is that unlike Dhan -Cave – currently under the second apron, which gives them much more flexibility to add or adjust their roses during the season. Nixes are inhabited with this current roster to some extent, but are in a position to go after a large name when available before the February deadline. This can be a factor below the line.

After years of staying on the sideline while talking about trades, Magic’s Uber-Insicular four-rounder to get the deal Desmond Bain Was quite gambled. This is only understandable when this Orlando roster is sufficient to compete for a conference final berth. Perhaps this is and perhaps it’s not – we have to look at in seven months. – Brian Windhorst

Who will win the Western Conference Final?

1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 106 digits

2. Denver Nagets, 50 marks

3. Houston Rockets, 35 points

4. Los Angeles Lakers,Minnesota timbervols, 7 points

5. Golden State Warriors, 2 digits

It is surprising that rockets here are not a favorite in their dialect to stop Oklahoma City to become the first repeated champion of NBA after warriors. Keeping a strong offsen in mind, who of course brought in the best scorer of the league Kevin Duunt To play on a roster already with young talents, the rocket should give a challenge to the defending champion, who ran away with votes in this summer.

Nagets earned the number 2 position in this poll how he took the last champion in seven matches in the semi -finals of the previous season, not necessarily on his active offenses. They did business Michael Porter JRFor Cameron Johnson In addition to receiving Jonas velishanas, Bruce brown And Tim hardway junior,

But something has to be said about continuity.

Thunder preferred this offsen to shut down his Uber-Pratibha trio Shay Gilgius-Alexander, Jalen Williams And Chet holmagrainIn fact, the OKC is ready to bring back 14 players from the 15-man roster of the previous season, making the Western Conference Champion Thunder High favorite. – Michael c. Right

Who will win 2026 NBA Finals?

1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 101 digits

2. Denver Nagets, 36 digits

3. Cleavland cavelers, 27 points

4. Houston Rockets, 21 points

5. new York Knicks, 11 points

According to our panel, the possibility is more that the thunder will eliminate the league streak of seven straight sessions with a separate champion. It is advisable to believe that Oklahoma City will be a better team after its title, purely based on the natural development of its young core talent, complementing with 27-year-old MVP Shai Gilgas-Alexander.

However, 2023 champions Nugets are seen as the largest challenger to repeat the Thunder. After pushing Oklahoma City into seven matches in the West semi -finals, Danver maneuled this summer. Nicola jokik The deepest supporting artist of his career. Thunder proved in the previous season that the previous experience of a deep playoff run is not a condition to win the championship. Cavaliers hoped to achieve a similar success for the East, putting his core four together despite his 64-win regular session exiting the second round.

Rockets have not been out of the first round since trading James Harden five years ago. But adding the Future Hall of Fammer Kevin Duunt to the core of a franchise, which jumps in the Vince category in each of the last two sessions, has put Houston into conversation by claimants. – Tim McMahon

UEFA Champions League Has come back and, as we prepare for the second season of the “League phase” format, it is worth a refresher how it plays. Some changes that were simple were more complex, and some may still look a bit of a mystery until we meet for the knockout round in February, even if we have already tasted it. Oh, and the knockout for this season has changed.

So, what is the new format? How does the draw work? And what would the league stage look like?

What is the new Champions League format?

Let’s start the basics. The previous season first marked in 21 years that we would have a format change for Europe’s top club competition. For the last 21 sessions, 32 teams qualified and were drawn into eight groups of four. The top two teams passed through 16 rounds, in third place the UEFA fell into the Cup/Europea League and ended completely from Europe from Europe.

We now have 36 teams, but they are no longer in groups. Instead, we have the Champions League “League phase”. All clubs are in a large league table.

So how does it work?

• Teams are designed to play eight fixtures, four at home and four away
• Teams on 25 to 36 posts are terminated in January
• 16 teams in Position 9, 16 to 24 in the knockout phase playoffs, to make it to place in 16.
• Top eight go directly through 16 rounds, played in March

It is not possible to fall in Europea League From the Champions League (or in) Conference league From the Europa League). Once you get out, you get out.

From the knockout phase playoffs, the competition retains its two-foot format through the semi-finals, with a traditional one-to-leg-final final, but with a limited draw-later.

Okay, so how are the fixtures made?

Instead of groups, the Champions League Thursday, August 28 (UK / Midde ET) will make a personal eight-game stability list for each of the 36 participants.

Time
Pot 1 begins: 5.31 PM UK / 12.31 pm ET
Pot 2 begins: 5.44 pm UK / 12.44 pm ET
Pot 3 begins: 5.55 am UK / 12.55 pm ET
Pot 4 begins: 6.03 PM / 13.03 pm ET
Draw Complete: 6.08 PM / 13.08 pm ET

Not much has changed what the draw looks on paper, as there are still four utensils of four teams with nine clubs instead of eight. But there are still some notable adjustments that see the expanded area.

How to sow

The Pot 1 used the champions of the top six domestic leagues along with the Champions League and the Europe League holders. Through 4 utensils 2 will then be ordered based on strength UEFA club coefficientWhich ranks clubs on performance in Europe in the last five sessions.

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Now only Champions League Titleholder (Paris St.-Germen) is automatically in Pot 1, all other posts are based on the UEFA club coefficient. Its purpose is to give a sliding scale strength through utensils, so teams face two opponents from each bracket.

However, the new Champions League format means that the vessel you are in is low, as teams are designed to play two clubs from their own pots. Under the old system, being in Pot 1 can give you a more generous draw, as you could not play teams with the strongest pot in the group stage.

Pot 1:
Paris Saint Germain
real Madrid
Manchester City
Bayern Munich
Liverpool
Internazionale
Chelsey
Borusia dortmund
Barcelona

Pot 2
Arsenal
Bayer leverkusen
Atletico Madrid
Benfika
Atlanta
Villarreal
Juventus
Intrach frankfurt
Club brugge

Pot 3
Tottenham Hotspur
Psv eindhoven
ajax
Napoli
Sporting CP
Olympicos
Slavia Prague
Bodo/Jhalak
Marsail

Pot 4
FC Cobainhavan
As Monaco
Galatasarai
Union St.-Giloise
FK Qarabag
Athletic club
Newcastle United
Puffos
Coward altamati

There are two main principles of drawing in this season:

• No club can play another team from its own league (for example, Arsenal Liverpool)
• A club cannot play more than two teams from a country (so if Arsenal draws Bayern Munich and Borusia Dortmund, they will then be unable to face Intrach Frankfurt)

And there is a turn. In the Champions League with six Premier League teams, and three of them in Pot 1, UEFA needs to stop the “deadlock” landscape. What does it mean? Well, the draw within the above obstacles could not be completed.

In simple words: English clubs cannot play against each other so that to avoid “deadlock” with this section, Non-English Club 1 in Pot 1 Everyone should play two premiere league teams – Either Pot 1, Arsenal, Newcastle United or Tottenham. correct?

In fact, this means that Barcelona, ​​Bayern Munich, Borusia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Paris St.-Germen and Real Madrid, on paper, can find a slightly tough set of fixtures. And it is more for a team that faces two non-English teams from Pot 1, arsenal, tottenham and/or new-English teams.

Think of it this way. If Bayern Pot 4 and reach that point, they have prepared only one English team, they Sure Play Newcastle – When the choice of puffos and carat almaty on paper will be more favorable. And if they also attract athletic club, it clearly presents a much harder stability list than others in Pot 1.

In addition, three English teams in Pot 1 cannot create newcastles, so Pot is more likely to be more than 4 favorable fixtures.

The draw ceremony is quite different, too. In the last season, the fate of all teams will be decided by a manual draw, with balls and utensils for teams and groups, by a parade of former Champions League players. But the new format is so complex that it will take more than three hours and require 1,296 balls to complete the same way.

It works like this:

• A team is drawn on stage by a pre-player (starts with pot 1 and ends with pot 4)
• A computer randomly selects eight opponents of that club (subject to draw obstacles), which also determines which match is to be played at home or away

The utensils cannot be so important, but they still have relevance because each has a series of quality. The distribution of home and distant sports is also important for each club, given the limit of potential opponents.

Each team is given a fixtures against two opponents from each vessel, and it is how it can look:

When will the games be played?

There are two matches in ET at 5.45 am and ET at 8 pm in the UK and the rest at 8 pm. However, on the last day of the league phase, all 18 matches will start from ET at 8 pm at 8 pm.

The UEFA has expanded the footprint of the European calendar to cover 10 midweits, rather than that it uses six. There will be eight matches in the Champions League, in which Spare to Europea League and Conference League were used to give their own standalone week. Only the Champions League will play in a week of 16–18 sept, with the Europe League sept 24–25 and the conference league on 18 December.

The Champions League League Charan now ends in January, instead of December, six games were played before Christmas and the last two rounds on 20–21 and January 28.

Several pot 1 fixtures were constructed with the new format, when there would be no one in the last season, the UEFA would be seen to spread the “Marks” matches during the match.

How do knockout rounds and brackets work?

The UEFA conducted a draw in the knockout round, but the new method of using the league ranking for the construction of the bracket means just two: for a knockout phase playoff (30 January), and to complete the bracket for another 16 (27 February) round.

There is no country protection, so for example, Liverpool can play Chelsea in 16 era. In the previous seasons, the country’s security remained until the quarter -finals.

The strength of the teams in the expanded tournament means that some heavyweight teams are likely to remember on the top eight, and it can quickly create some blockbuster relationship in the knockout stage – as we saw with Liverpool vsG in the previous season.

The first draw on January 30 makes the knockout-phase playoff fixtures, each team has two possible opponents at 9-24 rank. Stability is locked in one of the two potential bracket positions.

Clubs built the second phase at home at 9–16 rank. From this point, the situation in the bracket for these teams is determined.

On February 27, the second draw makes a round of 16 fixtures, in which teams are placed in one of two possible positions. The entire bracket is now set in the finals.

How has the UEFA changed the benefit of the house in knockout?

In the last season, there was an open draw for who would play the second leg at home in the quarter -finals and semi -finals.

UEFA has replaced it, with the second phase site now on the basis of merit from the league stage. 1-4 ranked teams are guaranteed to stay in the second phase of the house in 16 and quarter-finals-if they reach there. Teams ranked 1-2 are also sure of home priority in the semi-finals.

Arsenal was angry that he was to play in the second phase of his Champions League semi-final against Paris St.-Germen in France last season, even though the Gunners were placed third in the league stage and the PSG was in 15th position.

However, changes in rules will not benefit for arsenal. Because PSG knocked on the number 1-ranked liverpool in the 16 round, the ligue 1 side would “live” domestic priority from Liverpool with a tie. Hence PSG, despite being 15th, will guarantee the quarter -finals and the second leg of one house in the semi -finals.

This means that if the same thing happened in the next season, the arsenal still would have to play the second leg. It provides less incentives to achieve a high location inside the top eight, and gives a chance for a team out of top locations to obtain priority bezer plantation.

Rules change would have made a separate semi -final order for Barcelona (second) vs. Inter Milan (Fourth). The Siri A side, which reached the final, was prepared at home in the previous season, but will automatically priority in Barcelona under the new system.

The decision of the UEFA only decides not to reprint each tie on the basis of league phase placeing (instead gives priority to teams that knocked 1-4 rank) makes an imbalance, an additional division in the knockout bracket. It puts the teams that harm the third or fourth, as it is now impossible to be at home in the second phase of a semi -finals.

Only teams that end up in the following positions can get a second leg in the semi -finals: first, second, seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 18th, 23rd, 24th.