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2025-26 NBA Championship Odds and Expert Predictions for Futures Betting

by Spencer Toth - 10/22/2025

NBA Championship odds and predictions Kawhi Leonard Los Angeles Clippers

The NBA season tips off tonight, as the Oklahoma City Thunder look to become the first back-to-back champion in the last decade. They are overwhelming favorites to win the NBA Finals this season, but a handful of teams aren’t too far behind. Nine squads enter the new season with +2000 odds or shorter, but they aren’t all equally ready to ascend to the NBA summit. Which sides are worth a bet at this stage of the season, and which are overvalued after a long summer to build up hype? Locking up a portion of your bankroll for 8+ months isn’t ideal, but for the right price on some of these teams, it’s hard to say no. Let’s dive right in. 

The NBA season tips off tonight, as the Oklahoma City Thunder look to become the first back-to-back champion in the last decade. They are overwhelming favorites to win the NBA Finals this season, but a handful of teams aren’t too far behind. Nine squads enter the new season with +2000 odds or shorter, but they aren’t all equally ready to ascend to the NBA summit. Which sides are worth a bet at this stage of the season, and which are overvalued after a long summer to build up hype? Locking up a portion of your bankroll for 8+ months is far from ideal, but for the right price on some of these units, we will be unable to say no. Let’s dive right in. 

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Oklahoma City Thunder: +210

The Thunder are big favorites to repeat as NBA champions this season, and it is hard to argue with these odds. Oklahoma City has a young core brimming with talent, a boatload of future draft picks to play with, and is coming off the sixth-best regular season of all-time. It is frightening to think about the fact that this team could dominate the league for the next decade, but that doesn’t mean they are worthy of a wager at this price. 

There are two reasons why I will be passing on the Thunder’s championship odds at this stage of the season. First, when looking to make a championship bet that won’t cash for several months, you are looking for a price that is unlikely to still be available later in the season. Even if Oklahoma City has another dominant year, they are unlikely to have odds much shorter than +210 heading into the playoffs. With limited upside, there is no benefit to locking in this pick now. Second is the stiff competition in the Western Conference. Oklahoma City was able to cruise to the Finals last season thanks to several injuries to its competitors, and things may not be as easy this time around. Their fellow contenders have had an entire summer to work out how to beat the Thunder, and will bring their A-game on a nightly basis. The Thunder are still the best team in the NBA, but at +210, there is no value heading into the new season. 

Verdict: Pass

Denver Nuggets: +650

Denver has the best player in the world on their roster and surrounded Nikola Jokic with new talent this offseason. Cameron Johnson is a massive upgrade over Michael Porter Jr., and the emergence of Christian Braun has allowed the Nuggets to leapfrog up the odds list. Denver finds itself in a crowded Western Conference, but it still has the quality needed to overcome adversity. There is no question about what Jokic brings to the table, and it appears as though Denver has finally given him enough talent alongside him to make a deep playoff run. There is no question that the Nuggets are the Thunder’s biggest threat in the West, and the question remains if there is value at this price. The emphatic answer is yes. Jokic has already proven that he can lead this team to a championship, and he is somehow getting better with each passing season in the NBA. Jamal Murray had a down year last season, but the rest of the Nuggets' shooters have gotten better. At +650, we can lay a few dollars on Denver. 

Verdict: Buy at +650, 6/10 value

Cleveland Cavaliers: +650

The Cavaliers are the Eastern Conference favorites, and there is a lot to love about this roster. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen comprise a lethal duo on the interior, which is one of the big reasons that Cleveland has remained dominant on defense. Mobley is only getting better as he enters his fifth NBA season, and the 24-year-old will gradually take over as Allen ages. On the outside, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell have been exceptional. Mitchell is one of my MVP dark horses this season (+10000), as the lack of competition in the East will allow the Cavaliers to pull away. The injury bug disrupted their playoff hopes last season, but there is no denying the fact that a healthy Cavaliers side is unbeatable. Once you add in the fact that Lonzo Ball is playing great basketball in his return, and the Cavaliers' deep bench will allow them to string together wins in the regular season, this +650 price tag may not be available for long. When Cleveland starts the season 25-5 and pulls away in the East, this price will be slashed, making this a must bet heading into the year. 
Verdict: Buy at +650, 9/10 value

New York Knicks: +1100

The Knicks' starting five is very strong, but a lack of depth leaves them vulnerable to a single injury. Josh Hart is the glue of this team, but pushing off his finger surgery for an entire year means he will be nowhere near as effective. The Knicks traded away their future draft picks to acquire Mikal Bridges, and they don’t have any bargaining chips to use if things don’t go their way. Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson, and Guerschon Yabusele are their three best bench players, making these +1100 odds unjustifiable. Jalen Brunson has proven he is capable of putting this team on his back, but a lack of depth means the regular season record will be far from impressive. Maybe someone steps up for the Knicks, and maybe they can go on a deep run. However, the reality is this team has too many holes to warrant the fourth-best title odds this season. 

Verdict: Pass

Los Angeles Clippers: +1800

The Clippers' off-court investigation has dominated headlines this season, which has oddly allowed this team to fly under the radar. Kawhi Leonard isn’t getting any younger, and neither is James Harden, but the duo is still very effective. Leonard’s ability to dominate on both ends of the court is nothing new, as he looks to become the second player to win three Finals MVP awards with three different teams. Harden’s defensive improvements have been a welcome sight for the Clippers fan base, and this team is a well-rounded unit heading into the new season. Bradley Beal joined the Clippers on a discounted contract, while Chris Paul will spearhead their bench unit. Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez are two excellent centers, and the depth in Los Angeles is what really sets this team apart. The other contenders have their superstars, but they don’t have the depth needed to survive an 82-game season. The Western Conference will be very competitive, and earning a top seed could make a real difference in their quest for a trophy. The Clippers have the perfect blend of talent, depth, and drive to expel their playoff demons this season. 

Verdict: Buy at +1800, 10/10 value

Houston Rockets: +1900

There is a lot to like about the Rockets since they added Kevin Durant to their roster. They have incredible size, fantastic defense, and now have a legitimate scorer with Durant. While the Rockets will be competitive in the West this season, the season-ending injury to Fred VanVleet means we won’t be touching them at this price. Houston is without a true point guard on their roster since VanVleet got hurt, they traded Dillon Brooks, and I am not sure Durant is the leader this young unit needs. The talent is there, but a lack of chemistry, coupled with too much height on the outside, will prevent the Rockets from defending at the same level they did last year. This is a good, but not great, team that will struggle to separate itself from the other contenders in the +2000 to +4000 range.

Verdict: Pass 

Los Angeles Lakers: +1900

The Lakers have the best duo in basketball, and will be a perennial title threat as long as LeBron James stays healthy. An early-season injury has dented their title odds, but this is a great time to buy low on the Lakers. Luka Doncic has already shown that he can carry a bad team to the NBA Finals after what he did in Dallas. LeBron returning just makes the Lakers that much more dangerous, and this is a much better supporting cast than what he had with the Mavericks. The MVP odds suggest this could be a breakout season for Doncic, who is still settling in to life in Los Angeles. As long as the Lakers can stay afloat with LeBron in the infirmary, these will be the longest their odds will be all season. They have strong defensive players around Doncic, and a superstar capable of truly dominating on offense. That is a winning formula in the modern-day NBA, and the Lakers at +1900 are a great sprinkle. 

Verdict: Buy at +1900, 7/10 value

Minnesota Timberwolves: +2000

The Timberwolves haven’t been able to get over the line after reaching the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons. Anthony Edwards is a dominant force on offense, but they don’t have enough scorers alongside their superstar. Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels are great defenders, but defense alone isn’t enough to win against teams with multiple scoring threats. Gobert isn’t a player who will ever win an NBA championship, and unless the Timberwolves kick him to the curb for Naz Reid, they will be unable to win in the playoffs again. 

Verdict: Pass

Orlando Magic: +2000

I am not a big fan of what the Magic had to give up to acquire Desmond Bane. Bane is an impactful player and will help the Magic in the short term, but that trade dramatically shrank their championship window. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have shown what they can do when they are both healthy, and a third superstar in Orlando makes this team a legitimate threat. Banchero is dominant on both ends of the court and has no problem sharing the rock if his shooters are left open. Wagner was arguably the Magic's MVP last year, and his tenacious play in the paint will be on full display this season. It may be one season too early for the Magic to win the NBA Finals, but there is still plenty of value on this team. The East doesn’t have many legitimate, championship threats this season, and this price could be slashed dramatically if Orlando goes on an early win streak. 

Verdict: Buy at +2000, 8/10 value

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