NBA Championship Odds
Table Of Contents:
Anytime is the perfect time to consider making future bets, and with the NBA offseason officially underway, you’ll want to check out the latest betting odds ahead of the 2025-26 NBA regular season. Betting on the NBA Finals winner is one of the most popular markets all year round, and therefore, our article will focus on the NBA Championship odds.
We will also provide you with some of the welcome bonuses that you can claim from several different sportsbooks. Additionally, we’ll give insight into the teams that are most likely to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy next June.
NBA Championship Odds 2025-26
The table below will provide you with the 10 teams that had the shortest NBA odds to win the Finals after the Oklahoma City Thunder won it all in 2024-25. It includes the current NBA odds to win the championship and the opening NBA Championship odds per the top NBA betting sites out there.
| Rank 🎯 | Team 🏀 | Current Odds 🔢 | Opening Odds 🔢 |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Thunder | +220 | +220 |
| #2 | Cavaliers | +800 | +800 |
| #3 | Knicks | +900 | +900 |
| #4 | Rockets | +900 | +900 |
| #5 | Magic | +1200 | +1200 |
| #6 | Timberwolves | +1400 | +1400 |
| #7 | Lakers | +1500 | +1500 |
| #8 | Celtics | +1600 | +1600 |
| #9 | Nuggets | +1600 | +1600 |
| #10 | Clippers | +2400 | +2400 |
🏀 Betting on the 2025-26 NBA Finals
With the table below, we have listed five of the best welcome bonuses across different sportsbooks. All of these sportsbooks offer the NBA odds to win the championship. Note that these NBA champion odds can be different based on the sportsbook you choose to bet with.
| Rank 🎯 | Sportsbook 🏠 | Welcome Offer 🔥 | Promo Code 🔓 |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Caesars | Bet $1, Double Your Winnings For Your Next 10 Bets 🥇🥇🥇 | PWCONTENTDYW |
| #2 | Bet365 | Bet $5 and Get $150 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose 😎😎😎 | PWEVG |
| #3 | BetMGM | $1,500 in First-Bet Protection 🦁🦁🦁 | PWCONTENT150 |
| #4 | FanDuel | Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins 🔥🔥🔥 | CLAIM NOW |
| #5 | DraftKings | Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets INSTANTLY! 👑👑👑 | CLAIM NOW |
🏟️ Favorites to Win the NBA Championship for 2025-26
Below, we have provided the five teams most likely to win the NBA Finals for the 2025-26 season. Here we will provide each team’s NBA Championship odds and where they rank compared to the rest of the NBA.
*PLEASE NOTE* – The teams below were written about before the 2025-26 NBA regular season began. They do not reflect the current odds
Oklahoma City Thunder (+220)
As the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the top choice in NBA odds for winning the championship at +220 from Caesars Sportsbook. OKC’s chances to win this season are increased by the fact that everyone from their 2024-25 championship team is still under contract entering the 2025-26 season. Additionally, OKC added Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber with the No. 15 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which further strengthens their front court. With that core of players plus several solid role players, the Thunder could win back to back championships.
Cleveland Cavaliers (+800)
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the second outright favorite to win the NBA Finals this season behind the Thunder. Their NBA odds for the Championship are +800 at BetMGM Sportsbook. The biggest reason why the Cavs look to be the second-most likely candidates to win the title is because of young returning core and players like Donovan Mitchell. They were the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2024-25 season, and with Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton likely missing the majority of the 2025-26 season due to Achilles injuries, the East is open for the Cavs taking.
New York Knicks (+900)
The New York Knicks’ NBA title odds sit at +900 at bet365 Sportsbook, which is just behind Cleveland’s. These odds are third on the betting board out of the 30 teams in the league. The Knicks still have big players such as Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunboy, but they need a new coach after Tom Thibodeau was let go. New York fell to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2025 postseason, but similar to Cleveland, they’ll feel like they can make another run when the 2026 playoffs roll around.
Houston Rockets (+900)
The Houston Rockets have odds of +900 to win the Finals at DraftKings Sportsbook, and they saw their odds shorten this offseason. These odds are fourth on the betting board compared to the rest of the league. Last season, the Rockets were the #2 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, but the Warriors knocked them out in the first round. However, they’ve made the biggest move this summer, as they acquired Kevin Durant in a trade, which moved their odds from +1800 to +900. Expect Houston to be OKC’s biggest competition in a stacked Western Conference.
Orlando Magic (+1200)
The Orlando Magic’s NBA odds for the Championship are +1200 at FanDuel Sportsbook. Their odds to win the NBA Finals are fifth on the betting board compared to the rest of the NBA. The Magic are led by Paolo Banchero, who has +5500 odds to win the 2025-26 NBA MVP, but they have a young core capable of winning the East. Their defense was one of the best in the league in the 2024-25 season, and if they can get consistent scoring outside of Banchero, they can definitely make a run.
NBA Finals Predictions for 2025-26
Our NBA Finals predictions will focus on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their odds to win the NBA Championship are the shortest in the league at +220, but it’s hard to make a case for other teams in the league. OKC set multiple NBA records, including the highest average win margin in NBA history (12.9 PPG), most double-digits victories (54), largest cumulative point differential (+1,243 points) and the only team to ever win multiple playoff games by at least 40 points. After crushing most squads and winning their second NBA Championship, the Thunder return this season with relatively the same squad. Throw in added experience and the hunger for a repeat, and OKC is by far the best choice for winning the 2025-26 NBA Finals.
👀 NBA Championship Picks: Longshot Candidates to Watch
One of the NBA Finals predictions involving a longshot would be on the San Antonio Spurs. Their odds to win the NBA championship are +2900. San Antonio brings back Victor Wembanyama, who missed most of the second half last season due to a blood clot. However, he will be a force in this league for years to come, and Stephon Castle was the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year. If San Antonio makes one big move and acquires a superstar, they could surprise fans during the 2025-26 season.
📊 NBA Finals Trends & Statistics
One of the trends to consider when looking to bet on a team to win the NBA Finals is the fact that there have not been many back-to-back champions in recent seasons. The last team to go back-to-back was the Golden State Warriors. This happened for the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals. However, OKC was a different animal last season, so we wouldn’t be suprised if they can win again (they are currently the defending NBA Champions).
🥇 Teams With Most NBA Title Wins
| Team | NBA Finals wins |
| Boston Celtics | 18 times |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 17 times |
| Golden State Warriors | 7 times |
| Chicago Bulls | 6 times |
| San Antonio Spurs | 5 times |
| Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat | 3 times |
| New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder | 2 times |
| Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic | 1 time |
| Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans | 0 times |
🏆 Past 10 NBA Finals Winners
| Year | Team | Runners-up | Series Score | Odds at beginning of season |
| 2025 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Indiana Pacers | 4-3 | +350 |
| 2024 | Boston Celtics | Dallas Mavericks | 4-1 | +450 |
| 2023 | Denver Nuggets | Miami Heat | 4-1 | +1800 |
| 2022 | Golden State Warriors | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | +900 |
| 2021 | Milwaukee Bucks | Phoenix Suns | 4-2 | +550 |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Lakers | Miami Heat | 4-2 | +450 |
| 2019 | Toronto Raptors | Golden State Warriors | 4-2 | +1850 |
| 2018 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-0 | -187 |
| 2017 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-1 | -128 |
| 2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Golden State Warriors | 4-3 | +280 |
Given the table above, the NBA Finals winner over the last 10 years had preseason odds shorter than +1000 eight times. Because of that, it might be worth targeting teams that have NBA Championship odds 2025-26 of shorter than +1000.
🎉 What Happened in Last Year’s NBA Finals?
Throughout most of last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder were the favorites to win the 2024-25 NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics were their biggest competition, but they fell to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals after Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles injury. The Indiana Pacers represented the East in the Finals, and although they pushed the Thunder to 7 games, they couldn’t pull off the upset. The 2025 NBA Finals marked the first time in which the series went 7 games since the 2016 NBA Finals, so there was plenty of excitement.
🤔 How Do Sportsbooks Calculate NBA Championship Betting Odds?
There are many factors that go into how sportsbooks calculate their NBA Championship odds. One of the main factors in this regard is how each team performed the previous season. Teams that made the playoffs in the previous season will have shorter NBA Championship odds, while the teams who missed the playoffs will likely have much longer NBA Championship odds.
However, another factor that could influence the NBA title odds are the offseason moves made by each team in the NBA Draft and free agency. Results in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, starting in November, could also affect NBA Championship odds as we’ll get a glimpse at each team’s performances in big knockout games.
📖 How to Read NBA Championship Betting Odds
Before you decide to bet on the odds to win the NBA Championship, you will first need to understand how to read these NBA winner odds. Below we have provided a few examples to explain how reading the NBA Championship odds 2023-2024 works (odds are example odds):
+375 (Milwaukee Bucks)
The first example will highlight the favorite to win the NBA championship. The NBA title odds of +375 are held by the Milwaukee Bucks. These NBA Finals odds would result in a profit of $37.50 following a successful $10 bet..
+8000 (Atlanta Hawks)
The Atlanta Hawks are much more of a longshot to win the NBA Finals. Their odds to win the NBA Finals are +8000 at BetMGM. This means that betting $10 on their NBA Championship odds 2023-2024 would return $80.
📱 How to Calculate NBA Championship Betting Odds
The easiest way to calculate the implied probability for the NBA Championship odds is by using an odds calculator. However, if you want calculate the NBA Finals odds yourself, you can use the following formulas
- 100/(odds +100) x 100
Since the NBA winner odds are almost in plus money (and that is the case again heading into 2023-24), you can use the above formula to determine the win probability. So if you take the odds to win the NBA Finals for the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks at +375, you can determine that both of these teams have a 20% chance to win the NBA Finals.
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).
21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. Terms: draftkings.com/sportsbook. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS).
