NBA Season Match BetsSee All Odds
LeBron James signing for $8 million moved the Philadelphia 76ers from 60/1 to 9/1 title contenders in a few weeks. First came the Jaylen Brown trade, which cut them to 20/1, and then LeBron took them to 9/1.
The 2026-27 NBA season tips off tonight, and it arrives after the most unusual offseason in years. The four biggest names to change teams all went East: LeBron and Brown to Philadelphia, Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami and Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto. The champion New York Knicks return most of their rotation, apart from Mitchell Robinson, after beating the Spurs 4-1 in the Finals.
The market still has the West’s two powers on top. San Antonio and Oklahoma City are co-favourites at 16/5, and the 76ers sit third at 9/1. Here are my five best bets for the season.
Best NBA Bets for the 2026-27 Season
| NBA Best Bets 2026/27 | Best Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia 76ers - Eastern Conference Winner | 4/1 | Skybet |
| Victor Wembanyama - Rebounds/Game Winner | 7/1 | Unibet |
| Nikola Jokic - Scoring Leader | 35/1 | Unibet |
| Kon Knueppel - 3PT Made/Game Leader | 20/1 | Betway |
| Oklahoma City Thunder - NBA Champions | 16/5 | AK Bets |
Odds last updated at 15:15 Tuesday, 20th October. View the full market on the on Oddschecker's Season Match Bets page.
TIP 1: Philadelphia 76ers - Eastern Conference Winner
Best odds of 4/1 with Sky Bet.
1pt advised stake.
Philadelphia finished 45–37 as the seventh seed last season, bowing out in the second round. Their updated starting group features Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and sophomore guard VJ Edgecombe.
The core offers proven elite scoring. Brown averaged 28.7 points per game last season (finishing sixth in MVP voting), while Embiid posted 26.9 points in limited appearances. LeBron’s playmaking remains top-tier, while Maxey, Brown, and LeBron formed three of the league's top transition threats.
Philadelphia’s projected win total moved moderately from 48.5 to 50.5 after the LeBron signing. That market hesitation reflects clear structural risks. Embiid has missed significant time over the past three seasons, and LeBron turns 42 in December. Managing ball-distribution between four high-usage scorers under Nick Nurse will require real adjustment. However, outside of the champion Knicks, the East lacks proven juggernauts, giving Philadelphia the highest ceiling in the conference.
TIP 2: Victor Wembanyama - Rebounds/Game Winner
Best odds of 7/1 with Unibet.
2pt advised stake.
Victor Wembanyama posted an elite 33.9% defensive rebound percentage last season, finishing fourth overall in rebounds per game at 11.5—behind Nikola Jokić (12.9), Karl-Anthony Towns (11.9), and Donovan Clingan (11.6).
2025-26 League Leader Comparison:
- Jokić: 12.9 RPG (League Leader)
- Towns: 11.9 RPG
- Clingan: 11.6 RPG
- Wembanyama:11.5 RPG (9.5 Defensive / 2.0 Offensive)
The gap to the top is manageable. Jokić’s 12.9 RPG was among the lowest winning totals of the past decade. Wembanyama logged 9.5 defensive rebounds per game (second in the league) but only 2.0 offensive rebounds, marking the primary area for stat-line growth.
His offensive shot selection continues to shift inside; his three-point attempts dropped from 8.8 to 5.5 per game last season while his scoring average rose to 25.0 PPG. Playing for a Spurs team that reached the NBA Finals, Wembanyama’s projected growth in minutes and interior positioning makes 7/1 strong value.
TIP 3: Nikola Jokic - Scoring Leader
Best odds of 35/1.
1pt advised stake.
Jokić averaged 27.7 points per game last season (eighth in the NBA) on 56.9/38.0/83.1 shooting splits, yielding a 67.0% true shooting percentage while leading the league in assists (10.7) and rebounds (12.9).
The scoring capacity is unquestioned—highlighted by a 56-point Christmas Day performance—despite taking only 17.4 field goal attempts per game. A slight shift in shot volume significantly impacts his scoring average due to his efficiency.
Regular-season points per game and NBA scoring rank:
- 2025/26: 27.7 PPG — 8th in the NBA
- 2024/25: 29.6 PPG — 3rd (his highest scoring average and best finish of the five seasons).
- 2023/24: 26.4 PPG — 10th
- 2022/23: 24.5 PPG — 18th
- 2021/22: 27.1 PPG — 6th
Luka Dončić led the league at 33.5 PPG and opens as the 5/6 favourite, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander second at 31.1 PPG (9/4). Jokić would require a substantial volume jump (~5–6 PPG) to challenge for the title, making this explicitly a speculative longshot. Should Dončić miss extended time or Denver lean heavier on Jokić’s individual scoring, 35/1 offers solid long-shot upside.
TIP 4: Kon Knueppel - 3PT Made/Game Leader
Best odds of 20/1.
1.5pt advised stake.
Kon Knueppel made 273 threes as a rookie, topping the league and becoming the first rookie to lead it. That broke the rookie record of 206 and the Hornets’ franchise record, on 7.9 attempts per game and 42.5% shooting.
Charlotte are built to feed him. They averaged 43.3 three-point attempts per game, second in the league, and LaMelo Ball’s 7.2 assists created most of his looks. Ball finished one make behind him on 272.
Knueppel said at media day that he feels more comfortable shooting off the dribble after the offseason, having already shot 46.6% on pull-up threes at one stage last year. The Hornets have also added more shooting around him.
The hurdle is per-game volume. Knueppel made 3.4 per game, while Stephen Curry led the league at 4.5, a full make ahead. Curry turns 39 in March, and a 20-year-old with off-the-dribble range could take a step forward. At 20/1 that growth is the whole case, so I’m staking 1.5 points.
TIP 5: Oklahoma City Thunder - NBA Champions
Best odds of 16/5 with AK Bets.
1pt advised stake.
Oklahoma City enters as a premier regular-season team behind two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.1 PPG) and an elite defense anchored by Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.
OKC Roster Depth Check (2026-27):
Under Contract: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins.
Draft Additions: Aday Mara, Bennett Stirtz.
Contrary to reports of a mass exodus, key rotation pieces Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Lu Dort remain on the roster or under team control. The Thunder added frontcourt depth via draft selection Aday Mara and guard Bennett Stirtz to pad their secondary unit.
After falling in seven games to San Antonio in the 2026 Western Conference Finals, OKC possesses the regular-season profile, defensive baseline, and playoff experience to challenge San Antonio and New York for the 2026–27 title.
