The City of Brotherly Love has turned into the City of Betting Love when it comes to NBA futures markets.
- The Sixers are the biggest NBA Finals winner liability at BetMGM.
- LeBron helped shorten the team’s odds from +6,000 to +850.
- Victor Wembanyama isn’t the only popular MVP pick.
Heading into Tuesday’s season debut, the Philadelphia 76ers are dominating wagering on the NBA Finals winner across multiple sportsbooks, as bettors can’t get enough of LeBron James’ move to the Eastern Conference squad.
“The Thunder and Spurs are clear favorites to win the NBA Championship, but bettors love the 76ers,” BetMGM senior trader Anthony Parenti said.
“Nearly 40% of all money wagered has been on Philly to win the title after trading for Jaylen Brown and signing LeBron James in the offseason. The Sixers are the biggest liability to win the championship.”
Pounding Philly
FanDuel told Covers that the Sixers have received “roughly” five times the bet count and handle to win it all than the second-most popular team. BetMGM said 30.9% of the tickets and 37.6% of the money backs Philadelphia, which lured LeBron from the Lakers over the summer.
The next highest team in bets is the Knicks at 5.7%, while the Thunder are second in handle at 7.5%. The Sixers are also the most-bet team at DraftKings and Fanatics.
“76ers bets have been coming in hot and heavy since LeBron signed with Philadelphia,” Caesars pro basketball lead David Lieberman told Covers. “They have been one of the most heavily bet teams in multiple different futures markets so far this offseason.”
| NBA Finals Winner | FanDuel Odds | DraftKings Odds | Caesars Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
 Thunder |
+240 | +270 | +280 |
 Spurs |
+280 | +270 | +270 |
 76ers |
+1,000 | +900 | +800 |
 Knicks |
+950 | +900 | +900 |
LeBron moves market
The 76ers opened BetMGM’s futures market in mid-June with odds of +6,000 to win the NBA title, well before LeBron announced he was heading to Philly. Their odds shortened to +1,000 after James signed in late July, and the Sixers are currently at +850.
Only the Spurs and Thunder (both at +260) have shorter odds, making Philadelphia a higher favorite than the defending champion Knicks (+1,000) at BetMGM. New York is +950 at FanDuel, where the Sixers are at +1,000.
Those same two teams square off on Tuesday night, with the Knicks favored by 4.5 points at DraftKings, according to the latest NBA odds. The online sportsbook reported on Monday that 69% of the bets and 68% of the money are on the Sixers, while Fanatics told Covers that over 58% of the moneyline handle is behind the underdog.
Following the stars
Philadelphia wasn’t the only team to pick up multiple stars and help increase futures wagering. The Miami Heat, which acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson during the offseason, and Minnesota Timberwolves, who added LaMelo Ball, are listed in the top six most-bet teams at DraftKings and Fanatics.
“Many stars changing teams spurred some hype surrounding the futures markets and bets usually come in heavier around those big names moving around in the offseason,” Lieberman said.
Finding a longshot
Bettors are also jumping on the Jazz to take a major step forward in 2026-2027, coming off a 22-win season. Utah has been going through a rebuilding period and adding plenty of young talent to the roster.
The Jazz head into this season with odds of +20,000 to win the NBA title at BetMGM, but with 3.5% of the market’s handle coming in on Utah, it’s enough to make this the operator’s second biggest liability, with the Dallas Mavericks third.
One BetMGM customer wagered $10,000 on the Jazz to win it all, with a potential payout of $2 million.
MVP madness
While there seems to be a betting consensus in the NBA Finals market, Most Valuable Player is playing out differently. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama is the market favorite at Caesars, BetMGM, Fanatics, and DraftKings, at around +200, and getting the most action at several of those shops. However, FanDuel has Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of Wemby (+400) at +310.
With massive odds of +10,000, James dominates bet count at FanDuel, where he’s also fourth in money behind Wemby, Luka Doncic, and Jayson Tatum.
The Boston Celtics star, however, is BetMGM’s biggest liability. Tatum (+1,500) is getting a market-high 15.2% of the operator’s tickets and 12.7% of the handle, but well behind Doncic (+600) at 27%.
Doncic and Tatum round out the top three most-bet players to win MVP at Fanatics, followed by Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Giannis.
