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Jalen Williams Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OKC Thunder

NBA Finals 2026 Odds Preview: The Oklahoma City Thunder Are Favorites To Win Back-to-Back

Discover the early 2026 NBA Finals odds and see why the Oklahoma City Thunder are favored to repeat as champions. Fresh off their 2025 title, the Thunder return their entire core and have room to add more talent. We break down the top contenders, betting favorites, and where the value lies in the current NBA futures market.

NBA Finals 2026 Odds Preview: The Oklahoma City Thunder Are Favorites To Win Back-to-Back

The Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2024-25 NBA Finals in Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers last night. After winning the title, the Thunder won't lose a single player from the championship roster unless a trade is made. The entire team is under contract for next season. Additionally, the Thunder have room in their salary cap to add another player. They've also got multiple first-round draft picks on Wednesday. The Thunder are a relatively young team that played unselfish basketball throughout the season and playoffs. It turned heads and helped many teams realize that trading or buying aging superstars for super teams is no longer the way to go. The Pacers and Thunder each had rising stars and lots of young depth. That's what's needed to win an NBA Finals now. That said, take a look at the 2026 NBA Finals odds below. We'll discuss the best bets and where the value is below.

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2026 NBA Finals Odds

2026 NBA Finals

Odds

Implied Probability

Oklahoma City Thunder

+220

31.25%

Cleveland Cavaliers

+800

11.11%

New York Knicks

+900

10%

Houston Rockets

+900

10%

Boston Celtics

+1300

7.4%

Orlando Magic

+1300

7.4%

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2026 NBA Finals Betting Favorites

Oklahoma City Thunder (+220)

The Oklahoma City Thunder team won the NBA Finals with one of the youngest teams in the league. This team was so young that only Alex Caruso knew how to open up a champagne bottle to celebrate the Game 7 win. The Thunder have an MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They've also got rising stars like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. In addition, the depth that the Thunder carried this year was sensational. That depth will only increase next year since the Thunder have more draft assets and room to add another piece to the rotation. There's no reason why the Thunder wouldn't be a top-3 team in the Western Conference. It's also very likely they'll finish at the top of the conference. But after all, the Western Conference is hard, and other teams will be building championship contenders to compete against the Thunder. The Thunder have a target on their back now.

Cleveland Cavaliers (+800)

The Cleveland Cavaliers should have their core starting lineup back unless they engage in a trade. Darius Garland was hurt for most of the playoffs and was inconsistent when he was on the floor. That said, the core four of Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley were spectacular in the regular season. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cavaliers make some moves. I also wouldn't be surprised if Ty Jerome were on a different team. Still, Cleveland is one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. I just don't know if we can trust them to win it all next year.

New York Knicks (+900)

The Knicks don't even have a head coach right now. We'll have to wait and see which direction the Knicks go. That said, it's unlikely the Knicks will trade away any of their key assets anymore. Kevin Durant is on the Rockets and Giannis Antetokounmpo likely won't even be traded. The Knicks will need to add depth but until they find a coach, it's unlikely the Knicks will make a gigantic move. Ultimately, the Knicks have an elite roster. They'll just need a coach who can trust the bench more. I don't hate +900. The Knicks have momentum right now.

NBA ODDS

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