No Jalen Williams? No problem.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have raced out to an impressive 10-1 start to begin the 2025-26 NBA season despite playing without their All-NBA forward. Much of the credit goes to reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has kept OKC afloat by averaging a career-best 33.2 points in his team's first 10 wins. His otherworldly performance has shortened the Thunder's NBA odds from +250 when the season began to as low as +200 at many sportsbooks.
Let's dive into the latest NBA Championship odds as early season action unfolds.
🏆 2026 NBA Championship odds
📈 2026 NBA Finals odds over time
Here's a visual representation of how the NBA championship has odds evolved since June 2025.
💰 Sportsbook betting splits and insights
Highest ticket percentage
• Nuggets 8.8%
• Thunder 8.7%
• Mavericks 8.2%
Highest handle percentage
• Thunder 17.9%
• Mavericks 16.3%
• Lakers 13.3%
Biggest liability
• Mavericks
• Lakers
• Warriors
Data courtesy of BetMGM.
2026 NBA Championship opening odds
- Thunder +230
- Knicks +900
- Pacers +900
- Timberwolves +1000
- Cavaliers +1100
- Rockets +1200
- Lakers +1600
- Spurs +1600
- Nuggets +1700
- Celtics +2000
- Warriors +2300
- Magic +2500
- Mavericks +4000
- Clippers +4000
- 76ers +4500
- Heat +5000
- Pistons +7000
- Bucks +7500
- Grizzlies +10000
- Raptors +15000
- Suns +17000
- Kings +20000
- Pelicans +20000
- Nets +25000
- Hawks +30000
- Bulls +40000
- Trail Blazers +40000
- Wizards +60000
- Hornets +60000
- Jazz +60000
🤖 AI NBA Championship prediction
We turned to the enormous computing power of ChatGPT to find out who the large language model believes will be the last team standing this season. Not surprisingly, it stuck with the defending champs.
Oklahoma City has the cleanest runway to be the best team in 2026: an MVP-caliber engine in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entering the heart of his prime, a two-way star wing in Jalen Williams, and a 7-footer in Chet Holmgren whose blend of rim protection, spacing, and feel supercharges modern schemes. That trio already drives elite half-court efficiency and a top-tier defense, and it’s backed by organizational continuity that reliably turns role players into playoff-useful pieces. By 2026, Holmgren’s strength and timing should be fully NBA-hardened, unlocking more switching and fewer help-and-recover compromises, while SGA’s mid-range and foul-drawing remain matchup-proof in May and June.
Depth and optionality push the Thunder over the top. They can win big or small, play five-out without sacrificing rim protection, and toggle between pressure defense and conservative coverages depending on opponent. Crucially, they still have surplus picks and cap flexibility to plug the inevitable holes that show up in a long postseason, whether that’s a second unit scorer, another stretch big, or a specialist wing.
Expect a rotation stacked with plus length, shooting, and decision-making around the core; enough to outlast the West’s heavyweights and finish the job in the Finals.
NBA Championship Odds FAQs
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the favorites for the 2026 NBA title.
The Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2025 NBA title, defeating the Indiana Pacers 4-3 in the NBA Finals.
NBA Championship odds above are in American format, meaning a $100 bet at odds of +250 would profit $250 if it wins.
Oddsmakers at sportsbooks create odds to win the NBA Championship based on the team's implied probability to win the title. The team with the lowest odds has the best chance to win the NBA Championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers are available at around +1400 to +1500 to win the 2026 NBA title.
Odds typically update in real time based on playoff outcomes, injuries, and market movement.
Most legal sportsbooks offer NBA Finals futures, including bet365, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, and DraftKings.
