Early NBA Championship 2025-26 season odds, predictions, best bets and longshots - can this +1800 pick stop the Thunder?

Germantas Kneita

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Like most Lithuanians, I started watching basketball from the age of six. I'm based out in London and played basketball at the University of Lincoln here in the UK. I had always had an interest in the NBA but things really took off in the summer of 2010. That year Linas Kleiza led Lithuania to 3rd place at the World Championships and signed with the Toronto Raptors to replace the departing Chris Bosh. I've been a Raptors fan since that day and I've not missed a game since. I've been handicapping games for more than a decade, specializing in player props. For Germantas Kneita media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.

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2025-26 NBA championship winner odds

Odds courtesy of bet365 and available at time of publishing.

Oklahoma City Thunder +220
Cleveland Cavaliers +800
Houston Rockets +800
New York Knicks +900
LA Lakers +1400
Minnesota Timberwolves +1400
Orlando Magic +1400
Boston Celtics +1600
Denver Nuggets +1600
Golden State Warriors +2200
San Antonio Spurs +2500
LA Clippers +3300
Dallas Mavericks +3500
Philadelphia 76ers +3500
Detroit Pistons +5000
Indiana Pacers +5000
Milwaukee Bucks +6500
Memphis Grizzlies +15000
Miami Heat +15000
Toronto Raptors +20000
Atlanta Hawks +25000
New Orleans Pelicans +25000
Sacramento Kings +30000
Brooklyn Nets +40000
Chicago Bulls +50000
Phoenix Suns +50000
Portland Trail Blazers +50000
Charlotte Hornets +75000
Utah Jazz +75000
Washington Wizards +75000

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2025-26 NBA championship contenders

Oklahoma City Thunder (+200)

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the favorites to repeat next season, but this will be no easy task. No team has managed to defend their title since the Golden State Warriors did it in 2018. It’s not like the Thunder were a dominant force throughout the playoffs either, being pushed to 7 games in 2 of the series. There are question marks on where this team can improve, too. While there will be an element of player growth and development, will they make any moves to shake up a roster that has delivered them their first championship? Not being active on this front could allow their rivals to not only close the gap, but take them down when it matters most.

Cleveland Cavaliers (+800)

The 2nd favorites for the 2025-26 NBA season are the Cleveland Cavaliers, but this is a team to avoid. Sure, the Eastern Conference looks weaker next season with Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton suffering injuries. However, as good as they have been in the regular season, they have underwhelmed in the playoffs for the second straight year now. The team cannot play Jarrett Allen in important crunch minutes while the backcourt of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell is undersized and lacks a strong on-ball defender that can slow down opponents at the point of attack. Until they show that the lights do not get too bright for them, it’s hard to see them making it out of the Eastern Conference.

New York Knicks (+900)

The Knicks might be the best-positioned team to take advantage of the situation in their conference. The team is deep, has an elite scorer in Jalen Brunson and one of the most talented centers in the league in Karl-Anthony Towns. They have the wing defenders to match up perfectly with teams like the Boston Celtics and could finally be able to book their return to the NBA Finals. The big question mark here is who will be stepping in to replace Tom Thibodeau, and what sort of system will be run. Towns can still be a defensive liability, so it will be interesting to see if the Knicks try and shape themselves into an offensive juggernaut, or look into bring in another defensive-minded coach to try and have a crack at masking his defensive vulnerabilities.

Houston Rockets (+800)

The Rockets struggled to score down the stretch this postseason, which led to an early exit. So they have gone ahead and acquired one of the best closers in the history of the game in Kevin Durant. While that immediately improves them, Ime Udoka will have his work cut out to make a lineup of Durant, Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun into a sturdy enough defensive unit. This team is certainly on the ascension, however. If either Jabari Smith Jr. or Amen Thompson take a leap this year offensively, this team could be set for a deep playoff run.

Orlando Magic (+1400)

The Magic could certainly be a team to watch and seem terrific value. While the package they gave up for Desmond Bane has been mocked online, he is exactly the type of elite shooter they need, considering he made 39.2% of his three-point attempts last season. I feel like they are a floor spacing point guard away from becoming a powerhouse in a depleted Eastern Conference. Paolo Banchero has taken a leap in every season so far and averaged 25.2 points per game with no floor spacing last season. The Magic have taken steps to fix that, and if they add another shooter, it could help Banchero establish himself as the 2nd-best forward in the conference, with a chance of challenging Giannis Antetokounmpo for the throne. I expect these odds to shrink significantly before the next postseason.

2024-25 NBA championship best bet: Denver Nuggets (+1800)

Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.

The fact that the Nuggets are being ignored to this extent by the oddsmakers is shocking. They pushed the Thunder to 7 games this postseason and still have Nikola Jokic, the player who averaged a triple-double last season and was the rightful MVP in many people’s eyes. They might need to move on from Michael Porter Jr., however. If they can do that and use the cap space to supplement their depth, they will be a dangerous opponent for any team in the league.

Aaron Gordon has shown he can be the 3rd option on a great team and Christian Braun has turned himself into a great defender and a great off-ball cutter. This team might only be a couple of shooters away from rising back to the top of the league. Jokic is entering his prime years and the Nuggets have new management in place. Expect them to make win-now moves to supplement their superstar. I don’t think there is a player in the league who can elevate the play of the supporting cast more than the Serbian. He should have the Nuggets challenging in 2026.

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