The 2025/26 NBA Season is just 31 days away, the preseason tips off in 12 days and the official start of training camp is just nine day from now. The season’s right around the corner and a lot’s happened during the offseason, let’s jump right in and talk about this year’s NBA Championship Odds. Who’s taking home the Larry O’Brien Trophy this year?
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2025/2026 NBA Championship Odds via BetOnline
Past Winners — Preseason Odds to Win
- Oklahoma City (2025) — (+500)
- Boston Celtics (2024) — (+400)
- Denver Nuggets (2023) — (+1800)
- Golden State Warriors (2022) — (+900)
- Milwaukee Bucks (2021) — (+550)
- Los Angeles Lakers (2020) — (+450)
- Toronto Raptors (2019) — (+1850)
2025/26 Odds to Lift Larry O’Brien
- Oklahoma City (+250)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (+700)
- Denver Nuggets (+750)
- Houston Rockets (+800)
- New York Knicks (+850)
- Orlando Magic (+1400)
- Los Angeles Lakers (+1600)
- Los Angeles Clippers (+1800)
Oklahoma City Thunder (+250)
Key Additions
Coming off their first NBA Championship in NBA History, the Oklahoma City are team that is built to compete. Now this isn’t a team that made a huge splash via trade or free agency, but they’ve got a war room stocked with draft picks and a front office that knows how to use them.
The Thunder signed their entire big three to extensions this summer, making Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the highest paid player in NBA History; while at the same time locking down both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to with rookie scale extensions. All three players are now signed till at least the 2031 season and this Oklahoma City Championship window just got a whole lot wider. Add to that the fact that the 2024 12th overall pick, Nikola Topic should be healthy and ready for training camp this year.
The ceiling on this Thunder team is incredibly high and so are the expectations.
Repeat Champs
Oklahoma City currently sits as the the widely recognized favorite to win it all again in 2026, as is the case with most teams coming off a championship run; let alone a run as dominant as theirs. The Thunder won 68 games last season, bested Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in a seven game series, and then took the Pacers to seven games in the NBA Finals.
Oklahoma City had one of the best modern day defenses we’ve ever seen, finishing the season with a 107.5 defensive rating and allowing just 107.2 points per game. They bring back almost their entire roster and a Head Coach in Mark Daigneault that emphasizes defense and tenacity on that side of the ball. Nothing changes this year and Oklahoma City will once again be one of the toughest matchups for any team, on any given night this year.
With all of that being said, going back to back is incredibly hard. We haven’t seen a repeat champion since the Golden State Warriors did it in 2017 and 2018. Since then, we’ve had seven different teams lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy with no team even making it passed the second round the following year. It takes 82 regular season games and 16 wins in the playoffs. The last three NBA Champions have played over 100 games total during their championship run and it’s why we see these teams start to lose gas in that second round.
Can the Thunder buck the trend? Vegas seems to think so.
Cleveland Cavaliers (+700)
Key Additions
The Cavaliers will return this year with their entire core, intact. Donovan Mitchell is committed to the Cavaliers and committed to trying to bring another championship to the city of Cleveland. Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and the reigning DPOY, Evan Mobley all return this year with the Eastern Conference wide open.
Ty Jerome’s departure was sad for the Ty Jerome stans in Ohio, but the Cavaliers moved quickly and replaced him by trading for Lonzo Ball. Ball arrives in Cleveland as this team’s clear backup point guard and an ability to manage his minutes and get back to full health. I love this move by Cleveland and as a Lonzo stan, I love it for Lonzo too.
Is This the Year?
Cleveland finished 1st in the east last year, winning 64 games and finishing the year with the league’s highest powered offense. Cleveland took a step back defensively last year under new Head Coach Kenny Atkinson, but the team more than made up for it on the offensive side of the ball. The Cavs averaged 119.4 points per game in the playoffs, 121.9 points per game in the regular season and just couldn’t get passed the Pacers.
This year the Eastern Conference is ripe for the taking. With both Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton set to miss the entire season, that takes both the Celtics and Pacers out of serious championship conversations. The Greek Freak in Milwaukee’s always presents problem, but the Bucks failed to make any meaningful changes this offseason.
Cleveland remains the favorite to come out of the eastern conference and barring any injuries, this really could be the year.
Denver Nuggets (+750)
Key Additions
Out of all 30 teams in the NBA, the Denver Nuggets had one of my favorite offseasons. The team was able to ship out Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for, in my opinion, a HUGE upgrade in Cam Johnson. Cam’s 29 year’s old but coming off his best year in the NBA. The 6’8 wing averaged 18.8 points per game last year and did it on splits of 48/39/89. This is an immediate impact starter who you can keep out their defensively because of his size and wingspan. I love this move.
Not only did they bring in Cam Johnson, but they solidified the back up center role; bringing in Jonas Valanciunas to back up the big Serb. Along with Valanciunas, the Nuggets brought back a key piece of their 2023 championship, Bruce Brown. Brown returns after spending the last two seasons with the Pacers, Raptors and Pelicans; failing to carve out a significant role in any locker room. This is where Brown’s supposed to be, playing in a system he knows and for a team that values him.
The Joker
If Nikola Jokic plays for your team, you’re automatically entered into Championship conversations. The three time Most Valuable Player is coming off a season in which he realistically could’ve won his fourth MVP award. Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game; averaging a triple double for the second time in his career.
Alongside Jokic, we’ve got Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and the team’s new Head Coach, David Adelman. The Nuggets bring championship pedigree, a three-time MVP and so much more to the table; it’s no surprise Vegas has them as one of the favorites to win it all in 2026.
Houston Rockets (+800)
Key Additions
We’re going to talk a ton about the Rockets this year. The team that finished 2nd in the Western Conference last year after completely missing the postseason the year prior. Ime Udoka was one of Houston’s biggest additions and it’s showing across the roster. The Rockets traded Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green in the offseason for the two time champ and two time Finals MVP, Kevin Durant.
Durant brings something to this Houston team they’ve been desperately missing; isolation scoring. Durant averaged 26.6 points per game last year, shooting 53% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc. Kevin Durant is a 50/40/90 guy and he averaged over 25, year in and year out.
In addition to Durant, the Rockets were able to snag Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency and will bring back a familiar face in Clint Capela for the 2025/26 season. The team also resigned Fred Vanvleet and extended both Steven Adams and Jabari Smith Jr.
Houston, we have lift off
If you’re a fan of the Houston Rockets, it’s time to get excited. This year’s roster is one of the most talented rosters in the entire league, they’ve got a coach that’s been to the NBA Finals and a superstar isolation scorer with two Finals MVPs under his belt. They’ve got the team to win it all and I’ll be so interested to see if they can live up to the hype.
The Rockets do play in the tougher Western Conference, populated by the reigning champs, the greatest shooter to ever play and Nikola Jokic. It won’t be easy but the Rockets have the pieces to get it done this year.
New York Knicks (+850)
Key Additions
The New York Knicks most notable offseason signing was their brand new Head Coach, Mike Brown. The Knicks made their first conference final since the turn of the new century last year and they decided to fire their head coach. Since the arrival Jalen Brunson in 2022, Thibs helped lead the Knicks to 47 wins (5th in Eastern Conference), 50 wins (2nd) and 51 wins (3rd) . The argument could be made that maybe the Knicks reached their ceiling with Thibs, but to fire your head coach after a conference final, I don’t like it.
The Knicks did also sign Jordan Clarkson to fill the backup point guard spot, in addition to extending Mikal Bridges with a near-max level deal.
New York, New York
Every single year, you’ll hear Knicks fans say this is our year. With how open the Eastern Conference is this year, they might have a point. The Knicks bring back Jalen Brunson and his 26 points per game, add to that Karl-Anthony Towns in his second year in New York and you might have a team that can compete. The Knicks now have a core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby moving; a brand new Head Coach in Mike Brown and a conference with no true favorite.
New York, is this the year?
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