- The Oklahoma City Thunder are betting favorites to win the 2026 NBA championship.
- Oklahoma City won the 2025 NBA Finals over the Indiana Pacers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder remain the betting favorites to win the NBA championship in 2026.
Oklahoma City is months removed from winning its first title since moving from Seattle to the Midwest. The last time a team went back-to-back was when the Golden State Warriors accomplished the feat in 2017 and 2018.
Thanks to a young core entering its prime and a stockpile of draft picks, the Thunder are positioned to defend their crown as the best team in basketball.
Take a look at the updated NBA championship odds market at the BetMGM online sportsbook:
Odds to Win NBA Championship 2026
| Team | Current Odds | Opening Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +125 | +240 |
| Denver Nuggets | +600 | +1600 |
| Houston Rockets | +1800 | +800 |
| New York Knicks | +1400 | +900 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +4500 | +1500 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +1600 | +850 |
| San Antonio Spurs | +1200 | +2200 |
| Detroit Pistons | +1400 | +5000 |
| Boston Celtics | +1600 | +1800 |
| Golden State Warriors | +10000 | +2500 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +3000 | +1400 |
| Orlando Magic | +5000 | +1400 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +25000 | +25000 |
| Miami Heat | +8000 | +25000 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +4500 | +3500 |
| Toronto Raptors | +12500 | +20000 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +8000 | +3500 |
| Chicago Bulls | +50000 | +50000 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +100000 | +8000 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +100000 | +3500 |
| Phoenix Suns | +12500 | +50000 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +100000 | +50000 |
| Charlotte Hornets | +25000 | +100000 |
| Indiana Pacers | +100000 | +4000 |
| Washington Wizards | +100000 | +100000 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +100000 | +15000 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +100000 | +25000 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | +100000 | +50000 |
| Sacramento Kings | +100000 | +30000 |
| Utah Jazz | +100000 | +100000 |
NBA Finals Odds 2026: Will Thunder Defend Crown?
The Thunder are the betting favorites (+125) to win the 2026 NBA championship. They started as +240 front-runners to defend their crown when this market was released in June.
Oklahoma City is hoping to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since 2018.
Since then, seven different teams have won the NBA Finals:
- 2025: Thunder
- 2024: Celtics
- 2023: Nuggets
- 2022: Warriors
- 2021: Bucks
- 2020: Lakers
- 2019: Raptors:
Of the last seven NBA champions, the Nuggets and Raptors were considered the biggest surprises. Toronto entered the 2018-19 season with a +1850 price tag to secure the title, while Denver started the 2022-23 season with +1800 odds of winning it all.
The remaining five teams were trading between +400 and +900 on opening night. The Thunder were +500 last October, while the Celtics were +400 two years ago. The Warriors started at +900 in the 2021-22 season, the Bucks began at +550 in the 2020-21 campaign, and the Lakers opened at +450 in 2019-20.
As a result, it might be more beneficial to look near the top of the market before placing an NBA championship future this year.
NBA Championship Prediction: Who Will Win the 2026 NBA Finals?
Based on the current futures market, the Thunder are projected to win the 2026 NBA Finals as the betting favorites at BetMGM.
As for who the Thunder might face in the NBA Finals, the New York Knicks now have the best odds to represent the Eastern Conference. The Knicks recently passed the Cleveland Cavaliers in this market. New York hasn’t won the championship since 1973.
The Nuggets appear to be the Thunder’s biggest threat in the West, led by the best player in the world, Nikola Jokić.
List of Past NBA Champions
| Year | Team | Preseason Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Thunder | +500 |
| 2024 | Celtics | +400 |
| 2023 | Nuggets | +1800 |
| 2022 | Warriors | +900 |
| 2021 | Bucks | +550 |
| 2020 | Lakers | +450 |
| 2019 | Raptors | +1850 |
| 2018 | Warriors | -187 |
| 2017 | Warriors | -128 |
| 2016 | Cavaliers | +280 |
| 2015 | Warriors | +2800 |
| 2014 | Spurs | +1200 |
| 2013 | Heat | +225 |
| 2012 | Heat | +225 |
| 2011 | Mavericks | +2000 |
| 2010 | Lakers | +225 |
| 2009 | Lakers | +350 |
| 2008 | Celtics | +1000 |
| 2007 | Spurs | +450 |
| 2006 | Heat | +350 |
| 2005 | Spurs | +400 |
| 2004 | Pistons | +1500 |
| 2003 | Spurs | +1100 |
| 2002 | Lakers | +200 |
| 2001 | Lakers | +180 |
| 2000 | Lakers | +400 |
| 1999 | Spurs | +450 |
| 1998 | Bulls | +140 |
| 1997 | Bulls | +100 |
| 1996 | Bulls | +350 |
| 1995 | Rockets | +450 |
| 1994 | Rockets | +1200 |
| 1993 | Bulls | +120 |
| 1992 | Bulls | +250 |
| 1991 | Bulls | +700 |
| 1990 | Pistons | +300 |
| 1989 | Pistons | +400 |
| 1988 | Lakers | +120 |
| 1987 | Lakers | +400 |
| 1986 | Celtics | +250 |
| 1985 | Lakers | +200 |
NBA Playoffs Odds
When the stakes increase on the court, they can increase at the online sportsbook with NBA playoff odds. From the play-in tournament through the NBA Finals, BetMGM is the premier destination for NBA betting.
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