20 Teams. 380 Regular-Season Games. One of the most competitive EuroLeague seasons yet and at the same time - one of the most profitable for me.

The 2026/27 EuroLeague season starts on September 24, with all 20 teams playing 38 regular-season games. The top six advance directly to the playoffs, while teams finishing 7th–10th enter the Play-In for the final two playoff spots as usual.

Last season showed just how tight the competition can be. Olympiacos finished first at 26-12 and eventually won the championship, beating Real Madrid 92-85 in the final. Valencia finished second at 25-13, followed by Real Madrid and Fenerbahçe at 24-14, while Žalgiris and Hapoel Tel Aviv both finished 23-15.

This summer, however, we have had huge changes in the teams.

Several teams made major roster changes, new stars moved between EuroLeague clubs, and Beşiktaş returns to the competition.

Here is my team-by-team preview.

OLYMPIACOS

2025/26: 26-12 — Champions 🏆

Olympiacos enters the new season as the defending EuroLeague champion after another outstanding campaign. They finished first in the regular season, then defeated Monaco, Fenerbahçe and Real Madrid on their way to the title. Sasha Vezenkov won the MVP and scoring title, while Evan Fournier was named Final Four MVP.

The summer brought some important changes. Thomas Walkup left for Dubai, Alec Peters joined Milano and Moustapha Fall moved to Panathinaikos. In return, Olympiacos added Jean Montero, Codi Miller-McIntyre and Mbaye Ndiaye.

Vezenkov, Fournier and Milutinov remain the core of the team, while Montero gives Georgios Bartzokas another high-level creator.

Preseason

Olympiacos beat Fenerbahçe 82-77, Crvena Zvezda 87-77, and then beat Zvezda again 89-87 in Cyprus. They have also beat Fener in the Super Cup semis 92-90 to lose a final against Real Madrid 89-93 just last week. Just before that they've won against Maccabi 77-72.

My view

The biggest question is how quickly the new guards replace what Walkup gave them defensively and structurally.

But this is still a team with Vezenkov, Fournier, Milutinov and a very experienced coach. The offense should remain one of the most difficult in Europe to defend.

Opening game: Baskonia away.

Key player to watch: Sasha Vezenkov.

PANATHINAIKOS

2025/26: 22-16 — 7th

Panathinaikos had a strange end to last season. They finished seventh, beat Valencia in the first two playoff games and then lost three consecutive games to exit the competition.

The response was huge.

Željko Obradović returns as head coach, while Panathinaikos added Sylvain Francisco, Guerschon Yabusele, Isaac Bonga, Brancou Badio and Moustapha Fall.

Kendrick Nunn, Kostas Sloukas, Jerian Grant, Juancho Hernangómez and Mathias Lessort remain.

Nunn averaged 19.0 points per game last season and finished just behind Vezenkov in the scoring race. Francisco arrives after an excellent season with Žalgiris, where he finished second in MVP voting.

Preseason

Panathinaikos lost to Maroussi 97-86 with their B team, then beat AEK Athens 78-56. They also played in the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament against Bourg winning 90-69 and PAOK 87-81.

My view

This roster has enormous individual talent, but the interesting question is how all these creators fit together.

Francisco, Nunn and Sloukas can all handle the ball. Yabusele, Bonga, Hayes-Davis and Hernangómez give them considerable size.

There are also some preseason injury concerns, so the first weeks should be monitored carefully.

Opening game: Paris at home.

Key player to watch: Nunn/Yabusele/Francisco and pretty much all starting 5.

REAL MADRID

2025/26: 24-14 — Runners-up 🥈

Real Madrid reached the EuroLeague final last season but lost to Olympiacos 92-85.

Despite reaching the final, Madrid made a major coaching change. Pedro Martínez takes over after leading Valencia to second place and winning Coach of the Year.

The biggest player departure is Mario Hezonja, who returned to the NBA.

Madrid added Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, Mikael Jantunen, Jaime Pradilla, Damian Jones, Olivier Sarr and Nick Smith Jr.

The core remains extremely strong with Facundo Campazzo, Theo Maledon, Walter Tavares, Gabriel Deck and Usman Garuba.

Preseason

Real lost to Breogán 110-102, then destroyed Baskonia 121-80 and beat Tenerife 97-90. They later defeated Barcelona 89-83. Last, but not least, they beat Dubai in OT 98-95 in semis to win Euroleague Super Cup against Oly 93-89 in the final.

My view

The biggest question is how much Pedro Martínez changes the style.

His Valencia team played fast and scored 90.9 points per game last season. Madrid has the personnel to play faster, but they also have perhaps the most dominant defensive anchor in Europe in Tavares.

Opening game: Dubai away.

Key player to watch: Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot.

VALENCIA BASKET

2025/26: 25-13 — Final Four

Valencia had one of the best seasons in club history.

They finished second, averaged 90.9 points per game, came back from 0-2 down against Panathinaikos and reached their first EuroLeague Final Four. Jean Montero won the Playoffs MVP award and Pedro Martínez was Coach of the Year.

Then almost everything changed.

Martínez went to Real Madrid. Montero joined Olympiacos. Darius Thompson went to Milano, Brancou Badio to Panathinaikos and Jaime Pradilla to Madrid.

T.J. Shorts becomes the main new creator, while Valencia also added Dylan Osetkowski, Jasiel Rivero, Elias Valtonen, Armoni Brooks and, very late, Nikola Mirotić.

Preseason

Valencia beat Zaragoza 88-81, won against Obradoiro 108-95, and lost to Barca 86-87.

My view

This is probably one of the most interesting teams to watch early in the season.

The talent is there, but replacing Montero, Darius Thompson and Martínez simultaneously is a completely different challenge.

Mirotić gives them a completely different half-court option.

Opening game: Beşiktaş away.

Key player to watch: Nikola Mirotić.

FENERBAHÇE

2025/26: 24-14 — Final Four

Fenerbahçe entered last season as defending champions and returned to the Final Four, where Olympiacos ended their season in the semifinal.

Sarunas Jasikevičius remains in charge.

The headline move is obviously Shane Larkin, arriving directly from Anadolu Efes.

Fener also added Shavon Shields, Will Clyburn, Trent Forrest, Braxton Key, Johnny Juzang, Marcus Bingham and Sertaç Şanlı.

Preseason

Fener beat Körfez 82-70, Tofaş 83-78, Olympiacos 82-77 and Milano 81-79. Then they won against Balkan Botevgrad 102-66, lost to Oly 90-92, won 3rd place against Dubai in the Super Cup 85-77 and won Turkish Supercup against Besiktas on the 22nd of September 72-59.

My view

The biggest tactical question is how Larkin, Wade Baldwin and Talen Horton-Tucker share the ball.

On paper, there is an enormous amount of perimeter creation.

The defensive depth may actually be just as important, with players such as Forrest, Key and Melli giving Jasikevičius plenty of options.

Opening game: Virtus Bologna at home.

Key player to watch: Shane Larkin.

ŽALGIRIS KAUNAS

2025/26: 23-15 — 5th

Žalgiris had one of the best regular seasons in modern club history, finishing fifth with a 23-15 record.

Sylvain Francisco finished second in MVP voting but left for Panathinaikos.

The response was spectacular.

Jonas Valančiūnas returns to Kaunas, while Carsen Edwards, Saben Lee, Sterling Brown and Marius Grigonis are among the major additions/returnees.

Edgaras Ulanovas, Arnas Butkevičius, Deividas Sirvydis and Dovydas Giedraitis provide continuity.

Preseason

Žalgiris beat Riga Zelli 97-85, Juventus 82-77 and Sabah 112-78. They lost to Paris 83-82, then beat Śląsk Wrocław 86-55.

They also beat Neptūnas 93-69 on September 20 and won the opening in LKL against Taurage.

My view

I am particularly interested in this team, but I doubt their new stars.

Valančiūnas changes the way opponents have to defend Žalgiris. Last year's team was built around movement and collective execution; this year they have a genuine inside reference which makes them too easy to predict.

Carsen Edwards also gives them a different type of scoring compared with Francisco and I am not sure what he is doing in this type of team with this crazy decisions on the floor.

The main character and player here has to be Ąžuolas Tubelis, but I am not sure how he will be used in this team.

Opening game: Crvena Zvezda away.

Key player to watch: Ąžuolas Tubelis.

HAPOEL TEL AVIV

2025/26: 23-15 — 6th

What a first EuroLeague season.

Hapoel finished sixth and went directly into the playoffs after entering the competition as EuroCup champions.

Vasilije Micić and Elijah Bryant were the main stars, while Bryant finished third in MVP voting.

Instead of standing still, Hapoel made the roster even deeper.

Zach LeDay, Tomas Satoransky, Khadeen Carrington, Amir Coffey, Tamir Blatt and Jacob Toppin joined.

Preseason

Hapoel beat Brescia 80-78 and Bayern 85-77, Partizan 94-83 and FMP 71-66. Also lost 83-101 against Maccabi just last week in the SuperCup.

My view

The biggest question is not talent — it is role distribution.

There are simply a lot of experienced players who expect minutes and touches.

If Itoudis gets the hierarchy right, this could be a very difficult team to play against over 38 rounds.

Opening game: Bayern Munich at home.

Key player to watch: Vasilije Micić.

CRVENA ZVEZDA

2025/26: 21-17 — 10th

Zvezda reached the Play-In after winning 21 games.

The offseason was significant.

Ibon Navarro replaces Saša Obradović, while the club added Chris Jones, Johnathan Motley, Patrick Baldwin Jr., David Kramer and Nick Weiler-Babb.

Codi Miller-McIntyre left for Olympiacos, while Jasiel Rivero moved to Valencia and Joel Bolomboy to ASVEL.

Preseason

Zvezda beat Mladost 102-68 and Milano 91-85, but lost to Olympiacos 87-77 and 89-87 in two different tournaments. Then loss to Aris 74-98 and win against Aris 91-87.

My view

The new backcourt gives Zvezda more ways to create offense.

Johnathan Motley is another major change because he brings interior scoring and physicality.

But there are many new pieces, especially defensively.

Opening game: Žalgiris at home.

Key player to watch: Chris Jones.

PARIS BASKETBALL

2025/26: 15 wins

Paris struggled to reproduce the impact of its first EuroLeague season, but Nadir Hifi remained one of the competition's best scorers, averaging 18.9 points.

The roster has been significantly changed.

Frank Ntilikina, T.J. Warren, Alize Johnson, Terry Tarpey, Tyson Etienne and Mãozinha Pereira are among the additions.

Preseason

Paris beat Orléans 89-85, Menorca 95-62 and Žalgiris 83-82, before losing to London Lions 84-75.

They also beat Chorale Roanne 81-59 on September 20.

My view

Ntilikina is particularly interesting because he can provide defensive size next to Hifi.

Paris needs to maintain its pace without allowing opponents to punish its smaller lineups.

Opening game: Panathinaikos away.

Key player to watch: Nadir Hifi.

BARCELONA

2025/26: 21-17 — 9th

Barcelona finished ninth and entered the Play-In.

The offseason was enormous.

Xavi Pascual left for Dubai, while Aleksander Sekulić takes over.

Barcelona added Justin Robinson, Josh Nebo, Olek Balcerowski, Olivier Nkamhoua, Tyrese Martin, Stanley Umude, Tosan Evbuomwan, Yoan Makoundou, Umoja Gibson and Justin Minaya, among others.

Kevin Punter remains the main offensive reference.

Preseason

Barcelona lost to Andorra 101-96, then beat Andorra 88-84 and Manresa 90-77. They also beat Valencia 87-86 and lost to Joventut 101-87.

My view

This could be a completely different Barcelona.

The talent is there, but the number of new players means chemistry will take time.

The opening game against Efes is immediately interesting.

Opening game: Anadolu Efes at home.

Key player to watch: Kevin Punter.

BAYERN MUNICH

2025/26: 17-21

Bayern finished four wins outside the Play-In.

Anton Gavel takes over as head coach.

The club kept important pieces including Andreas Obst, Vladimir Lučić, Kamar Baldwin and Rokas Jokubaitis, while adding Johannes Thiemann, Austin Wiley, Miles Norris, Duane Washington and MarJon Beauchamp.

Preseason

Bayern beat Ulm 91-86, Levice 112-78, Bamberg 98-67 and later beat Bamberg again 108-72.

My view

There is more physicality and athleticism compared with last season.

The question is whether Bayern can find enough high-level creation in close EuroLeague games.

Opening game: Hapoel Tel Aviv away.

Key player to watch: Andreas Obst.

OLIMPIA MILANO

2025/26: 17-21

Milano's domestic season was much more successful than its EuroLeague campaign.

They now enter Europe under Giuseppe Poeta.

The roster includes returning players such as Marko Gudurić, Leandro Bolmaro, Stefano Tonut and Devin Booker, while Darius Thompson, Alec Peters, Moses Wright, Devon Hall, RJ Cole, Jason Burnell and Garrison Mathews were added.

Preseason

Milano beat Varese 95-90 and Verona 76-75, then lost to Zvezda 91-85 and Fenerbahçe 81-79. Win over Strasbourg 75-68, loss to PAOK 77-89, win over Virtus 80-71 and Venezia 94-87.

My view

There is a lot of talent, but also a lot of players who have been important elsewhere.

The key will be how quickly Poeta establishes a clear hierarchy.

Opening game: Partizan away.

Key player to watch: Marko Gudurić.

PARTIZAN

2025/26: 16-22 — 15th

Last season was disappointing, with Partizan finishing 15th.

The club has again rebuilt a significant part of the roster.

Luca Vildoza, Alessandro Pajola, Kyle Allman, Ethan Thompson, Lamar Stevens, Derek Willis and Kevarrius Hayes joined.

Carlik Jones remains, while several major names from last season left.

Preseason

Partizan beat Zenit 83-71, lost to Hapoel 94-83, then beat Fuenlabrada 98-55. Also won against Besiktas 89-71, lost to PAOK 99-100 and beat Bourg 101-77.

My view

Pajola and Vildoza give Partizan considerably more European experience in the backcourt.

But again, this is a team that needs to build chemistry quickly.

Opening game: Milano at home.

Key player to watch: Carlik Jones.

BASKONIA

2025/26: 13-25 — 18th

Baskonia finished 18th despite Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot averaging 18.2 points.

He is now with Real Madrid.

Paolo Galbiati remains head coach, while Baskonia added Chris Duarte, A.J. Lawson, D.J. Stewart and Damion Baugh.

The frontcourt changed late, with Kenneth Faried and Alex Len joining.

Preseason

Baskonia lost heavily to Real Madrid 121-80, then beat ALBA Berlin 101-99, later beating Trieste 93-76. Also had losses against Bilbao 85-99 and Joventut 96-84.

My view

Markus Howard remains the key offensive weapon.

The biggest question is where the secondary scoring comes from after Luwawu-Cabarrot's departure.

Opening game: Olympiacos at home.

Key player to watch: Markus Howard.

ASVEL

2025/26: 8-30 — 20th

ASVEL had the worst record in the EuroLeague last season.

The response was significant.

Tony Parker takes over as head coach, while Patty Mills, Jae Crowder, Tremont Waters and TyTy Washington headline the new arrivals.

There are also additions such as Hugo Besson, Myles Cale, Yves Pons and Joel Bolomboy.

Preseason

ASVEL lost to SCABB 71-69, lost to Élan Béarnais 83-73 and then lost to Roanne 92-76. Also lost to Bayern 72-81, Brescia 78-84 and Roanne 71-73.

My view

It is difficult to compare this team directly with last year's roster because so much has changed.

The new guards should give them more ways to create offense.

But chemistry will be a major factor.

Opening game: Maccabi Tel Aviv away.

Key player to watch: Patty Mills.

MACCABI TEL AVIV

2025/26: 18-20

Maccabi finished one game below .500 and three wins outside the Play-In.

The biggest change is in the frontcourt.

Daniel Theis, Armando Bacot and Bonzie Colson joined Roman Sorkin and other returning pieces.

Yam Madar also returns to Tel Aviv.

Preseason

Maccabi lost to Bnei Herzliya 86-84, then beat Maccabi Rishon 95-81 and Aris 92-87. Lost to Oly only 72-77 and beat Hapoel Tel Aviv 101-83.

My view

Theis changes the structure of the team considerably.

Maccabi should have more size and more defensive options, but the major question is replacing the difficult-shot creation of Lonnie Walker IV.

Opening game: ASVEL at home.

Key player to watch: Daniel Theis.

ANADOLU EFES

2025/26: 12-26 — 19th

Efes had one of its worst seasons of the modern era.

Now comes the rebuild.

Pablo Laso continues as coach, but Shane Larkin left for Fenerbahçe.

Efes responded by bringing in Mike James, while also adding Matthew Strazel, Bruno Fernando, Collin Malcolm, Daron Russell and Santi Yusta.

Georgios Papagiannis, Isaïa Cordinier and Jordan Loyd remain.

Preseason

Efes lost to Erokspor 77-75, then beat AEK 101-72, Trabzonspor 76-71 and Lokomotiv Kuban 85-74. They lost to Dubai 79-75, then beat Cluj 87-69, Zenit 100-76, Unics 91-79 and Lokomotiv 88-82 later in September to show that they have no shame playing in russia.

My view

The obvious storyline is Mike James replacing Larkin.

But I actually think the bigger story is how many different creators Efes now has around him.

This is a very different team.

Opening game: Barcelona away.

Key player to watch: Mike James.

BEŞİKTAŞ

2025/26: EuroCup runner-up → EuroLeague wildcard

Beşiktaş returns to the EuroLeague and replaces Monaco in the 20-team field.

Dusan Alimpijević remains head coach.

The club added Scottie Wilbekin, Furkan Korkmaz, Wenyen Gabriel, Eugene Omoruyi, Jaylen Nowell, DaQuan Jeffries, Mady Sissoko and Metecan Birsen.

Preseason

Beşiktaş beat Tofaş 92-88, lost to Dubai 83-71, then produced 80-57 win over CSKA Moscow, also 108-74 against Fuenlabrada. Lost to Partizan 71-89 and Fener 59-72.

My view

The biggest question is how quickly the team adapts from EuroCup level to the EuroLeague.

Wilbekin and Korkmaz have extensive EuroLeague experience, while the roster has plenty of athleticism.

But the weekly level of opposition will be completely different.

Opening game: Valencia at home.

Key player to watch: Scottie Wilbekin.

DUBAI BASKETBALL

2025/26: 19-19 — 11th

Dubai's debut season was impressive enough to finish 11th with a 19-19 record, just two wins outside the Play-In.

The club has now increased the ambition.

Xavi Pascual takes over as coach, while Tornike Shengelia, Elie Okobo, Jaron Blossomgame, Mamadi Diakite and Thomas Walkup joined.

The roster already includes Dzanan Musa, Dwayne Bacon, Davis Bertans, Filip Petrušev and Mfiondu Kabengele.

Preseason

Dubai beat Anadolu Efes 79-75 and also beat Beşiktaş 83-71, but lost to Bahcesehir 78-83, Real Madrid 95-98 and Fener 77-85.

My view

Dubai now has an enormous amount of EuroLeague experience.

Walkup, Shengelia and Okobo give Pascual several ways to control games, while Musa and Bertans provide scoring and spacing.

The biggest question is how Pascual distributes the touches.

Opening game: Real Madrid at home.

Key player to watch: Tornike Shengelia.

VIRTUS BOLOGNA

2025/26: 14 wins

Virtus has undergone another major rebuild.

Carsen Edwards, Luca Vildoza, Alessandro Pajola, Matthew Morgan and Yago dos Santos all left.

Alex Mumbrú added Marcus Carr, Trent Frazier, Wendell Moore Jr., Kessler Edwards, Bobi Klintman and others.

Preseason

Virtus beat Rimini 83-79, then beat Derthona 88-73 and Pesaro 110-67. Also won over Brescia 97-80 and lost to Milan 71-80.

My view

This could be one of the more volatile teams early in the season.

There is athleticism and plenty of young talent, but not much continuity compared with the previous roster.

Daniel Hackett becomes particularly important as the veteran connection.

Opening game: Fenerbahçe away.

Key player to watch: Daniel Hackett.

🔥 THE PLAYERS I WILL BE WATCHING MOST CLOSELY

Sasha Vezenkov — Olympiacos

Reigning MVP, scoring champion and EuroLeague champion. He averaged 19.4 points last season.

Kendrick Nunn — Panathinaikos

19.0 PPG last season and again expected to be the main scoring reference.

Mike James — Anadolu Efes

Now becomes the primary offensive reference in a completely rebuilt Efes team.

Jonas Valančiūnas — Žalgiris

His return to Kaunas changes Žalgiris' offensive and defensive structure immediately.

Nikola Mirotić — Valencia

One of the biggest late additions of the offseason, arriving only days before the season begins.

Vasilije Micić — Hapoel

After an impressive first season back in Europe, Micić now has an even deeper supporting cast.

🎯 MY BETTING VIEW

This is where the season becomes particularly interesting for me.

I don't want to overreact to preseason results.

Some teams played almost their entire preparation with new rosters. Others had players missing, different rotations and limited minutes for their main stars. A preseason win against a strong opponent can be useful information, but it is not automatically proof of regular-season strength.

What I will be watching most closely:

1. New coaches
Pedro Martínez at Real Madrid, Željko Obradović at Panathinaikos, Tony Parker at ASVEL, Anton Gavel at Bayern and Xavi Pascual at Dubai.

2. Major roster changes
Barcelona, Valencia, Efes, Fenerbahçe, Partizan and Virtus have particularly interesting new rotations.

3. New stars in new environments
Larkin, Mike James, Francisco, Montero, Valančiūnas and Mirotić are among the players whose new roles could significantly affect the betting market.

4. Home-court situations
Some teams have historically difficult arenas, and early-season home advantages can be particularly interesting when one side is much more settled than the other.

5. Live betting
This is where I expect to find plenty of opportunities.

Early-season EuroLeague games can tell us much more after 10–15 minutes than they do before tip-off. Rotations, defensive schemes, pace and the actual role of new players become much clearer once the game starts.

🏀 FINAL THOUGHTS

The 2026/27 EuroLeague season is starting with an unusual amount of uncertainty.

The defending champions have changed their backcourt.

The runners-up have a new coach.

Valencia lost its coach and several key players after reaching the Final Four.

Žalgiris added Jonas Valančiūnas and Carsen Edwards.

Fenerbahçe brought Shane Larkin from Efes.

Efes brought Mike James to replace Larkin.

Panathinaikos brought back Željko Obradović and added Sylvain Francisco.

Barcelona rebuilt most of its roster.

And Beşiktaş is back in the EuroLeague.

20 teams. 38 rounds. 380 regular-season games.

The season starts on September 24.

For me, the most important thing at the beginning of the season is not trying to predict everything before the first ball is thrown up.

It's about watching the games, understanding the new teams, identifying where the market is wrong — and waiting for the right opportunities.

Let's see what the new EuroLeague season brings. 🏀🔥