With the NBA season kicking off this week, we look ahead to see how the season is predicted to unfold.
San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder go into the new NBA season as co-favourites, with both 16/5 at best. That's despite neither of them winning last season's title.
The New York Knicks won it, beating the Spurs 4–1 in the Finals to end a 53-year wait, and Jalen Brunson was the unanimous Finals MVP. The Knicks are 11/1 at best to retain it, behind the Philadelphia 76ers.
It was a dramatic summer, and most of the big moves happened in the East. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown both joined Philadelphia, and Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to Miami.
The season starts on Tuesday 20 October.
NBA Championship 2026-27 Latest Odds
Who Is Favourite to Win the NBA Championship?
| Selection | Best odds | Best at | Worst odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio Spurs | 16/5 | AK Bets | 12/5 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 16/5 | AK Bets | 12/5 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 9/1 | William Hill, Unibet, Betfred, Betfair, BetMGM, QuinnBet, Betway, Sky Bet, Paddy Power | 6/1 |
| New York Knicks | 11/1 | AK Bets | 15/2 |
| Boston Celtics | 16/1 | BoyleSports, Star Sports | 10/1 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 25/1 | William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and 11 others | 18/1 |
| Denver Nuggets | 28/1 | Star Sports | 20/1 |
| Toronto Raptors | 30/1 | AK Bets | 20/1 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 30/1 | Star Sports, AK Bets | 17/1 |
| Detroit Pistons | 33/1 | AK Bets | 22/1 |
| Miami Heat | 40/1 | Spreadex, Sporting Index | 20/1 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 40/1 | William Hill, BetVictor, Spreadex, Sporting Index, AK Bets | 33/1 |
| Houston Rockets | 50/1 | William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral and 6 others | 22/1 |
| Indiana Pacers | 50/1 | Spreadex, Sporting Index | 30/1 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 80/1 | BetVictor, Star Sports, Spreadex, Sporting Index | 40/1 |
| Orlando Magic | 100/1 | Star Sports | 45/1 |
Odds are subject to fluctuation and correct as of 09:28 BST, Monday 19 October: www.oddschecker.com/basketball/nba/nba-championship/winner
The Spurs and Thunder are almost impossible to separate. Both are 16/5 with AK Bets and 3/1 with Star Sports, which gives each about a 24% chance of winning the title, according to the odds. Most of the market has them between 12/5 and 11/4.
The case for the Spurs is that they finished last season strongest. They beat the Thunder in a Game 7 in Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals and only lost the title to the Knicks. Victor Wembanyama has signed a five-year extension, and Tobias Harris has joined the squad. In the league's annual survey of general managers, 50% picked the Spurs to win the title and 77% picked Wembanyama for MVP.
The Thunder had the best regular-season record last year at 64–18, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his second MVP award in a row. The main question about them is depth. To stay under the luxury-tax limits, they traded Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe and made no additions.
When Do the 2026-27 NBA Season and Finals Start?
The season opens on Tuesday 20 October with Celtics at Pistons at 8pm BST, then 76ers at Knicks at midnight. The Thunder travel to the Spurs at 2.30am on Wednesday. All three games are live on Sky Sports. The regular season ends on 11 April, the playoffs start on 17 April, and the NBA Finals are in June 2027.
NBA Championship Predictions 2026-27
There have been eight different champions in the last eight seasons, and no team has won back-to-back titles since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. That's a warning for the Knicks, but it also shows how unpredictable the title has been. The Knicks themselves were around 9/1 before last season.
Our prediction: the Spurs, just ahead of the Thunder. San Antonio added to the squad that beat OKC in the playoffs, while OKC lost depth. With the two so closely matched, there's no real price edge between them at the top of the market. This is an editorial view, not a tip.
