NBA fans, rejoice.

It’s October, which means the 2025-26 NBA regular season starts this month, and it’s time to start diving into the futures markets across the league. 

It’s only right that we start in the NBA Finals market, as the Oklahoma City Thunder and reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are looking to become the first repeat champion since the Golden State Warriors won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.

OKC is a major favorite to win the title, but the Boston Celtics were in that position in the 2024-25 season and failed to make the Eastern Conference Finals.

Just four teams have shorter than 10/1 odds to win it all in the 2025-26 season, as major injuries to Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Fred VanVleet have shook up the futures market – and some rosters – in the offseason. 

This year, I’ve decided to designate each team into a category based on their likelihood of winning the title as a way to help bettors identify their Finals picks before the season kicks off.

First, let’s take a look at the latest odds.

NBA Finals Odds for 2025-26 Season

Oklahoma City Thunder: +245Denver Nuggets: +650Cleveland Cavaliers: +800New York Knicks: +850Houston Rockets: +1000Minnesota Timberwolves: +1300Los Angeles Lakers: +1400Golden State Warriors: +1900Los Angeles Clippers: +2000Orlando Magic: +2200Dallas Mavericks: +3000Philadelphia 76ers: +3500Atlanta Hawks: +4500Milwaukee Bucks: +5000San Antonio Spurs: +6500Detroit Pistons: +7000Boston Celtics: +8000Indiana Pacers: +13000Memphis Grizzlies: +20000Miami Heat: +25000Toronto Raptors: +30000Sacramento Kings: +50000Phoenix Suns: +60000New Orleans Pelicans: +60000Chicago Bulls: +80000Portland Trail Blazers: +80000Washington Wizards: +100000Charlotte Hornets: +100000Brooklyn Nets: +100000Utah Jazz: +100000The Contenders

Oklahoma City Thunder (+245)

There’s no doubt that OKC should contend for a title again, as it returns basically its entire rotation from the 2024-25 season. Plus, Chet Holmgren missed the majority of the 2024-25 season with injuries, so he could help the team improve upon what was an insane regular-season record last season in the 2025-26 campaign. 

Denver Nuggets (+650)

The Nuggets were able to get a little more help for Nikola Jokic, adding Cameron Johnson in a trade and signing veterans like Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas and Tim Hardaway Jr. Denver’s ability to make it to the Finals rests on Jamal Murray playing closer to an All-Star level for an entire season – and playoff run. 

Cleveland Cavaliers (+800)

The favorite in the East, the Cavs have two starters (Darius Garland and Max Strus) that are expected to miss time to begin the year. Cleveland is a solid bet in a weak Eastern Conference, but it’s worth noting that this core has won just two playoff series in three seasons and has yet to make an Eastern Conference Finals. 

New York Knicks (+850)

Mike Brown is in as the Knicks’ new head coach, and the team is looking to get over the hump after an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in the 2024-25 season. The core of New York’s roster is back, and additions like Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson could give the Knicks a bench unit that puts it over the top in the East. 

Minnesota Timberwolves (+1300)

The final team in my contenders list, Minnesota has made the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons. Can Anthony Edwards finally get this team into the Finals? 

Fringe Contenders

Houston Rockets (+1000)

Houston slips to a “fringe contender” with Fred VanVleet out for the season with a torn ACL. Since he joined the Rockets, FVV has led Houston to a 79-54 record in the games he’s played in. Without him? Houston is just 14-17. 

The addition of Kevin Durant raises this team’s ceiling, but we’ll need to see someone step up as a lead ball-handler before putting Houston into title contender status. 

Los Angeles Lakers (+1400)

Any time you have Luka Doncic and LeBron James on a team, you have a chance to win a title. Doncic went to the Finals with Dallas in the 2023-24 season, and he and the Lakers earned the No. 3 seed in the West last season.

A full season of Doncic – who looks to be in shape and motivated – could push the Lakers back into the conversation for a top-four seed in the conference. 

Golden State Warriors (+1900)

Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green are attempting to make a run in the latter stages of their careers, but Golden State is going to need to stay healthy to contend. Curry’s injury in the playoffs last season may have been a sign that the Warriors’ title contending days are behind them. 

Los Angeles Clippers (+2000)

Another team that is going to need health – specifically for Kawhi Leonard – the Los Angeles Clippers are an interesting bet at +2000 after they added Bradley Beal and Brook Lopez in the offseason.

L.A. is old, but it has a deep roster that should be able to withstand the grind of a regular season. 

Orlando Magic (+2200)

One of the new-look teams in the 2025-26 season, Orlando made an all-in move to add Desmond Bane in a trade with Memphis. If Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs miss less time in the 2025-26 season than they did in the 2024-25 campaign, Orlando could end up as the No. 3 seed – or better – in the East. 

Playoff Teams

Atlanta Hawks (+4500)

Atlanta had a massive offseason, adding Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil-Alexander Walker and Luke Kennard to the fold. While the Hawks may not be in the title contention conversation, they do have an intriguing core with Jalen Johnson back from injury. 

It would be surprising if the Hawks missed the playoffs in the 2025-26 season. 

Milwaukee Bucks (+5000)

As long as Giannis Antetokounmpo stays healthy, the Bucks will be a playoff team.

As for the rest of the roster? It’s not great. However, the East is wide open, and Giannis is the best player in the conference. That could be all Milwaukee needs to make some noise in the playoffs. 

Detroit Pistons (+7000)

After earning the No. 6 seed in the East last season, Detroit should be right back in the mix in the 2025-26 campaign. Cade Cunningham and the Pistons have some new depth pieces, but the core is relatively the same. Jaden Ivey’s return from a brutal leg injury should help raise this team’s ceiling as well. 

Notice that all of these teams are in the East – that’s how weak the conference is because of the Tatum and Haliburton injuries. 

Potential Playoff Teams

Dallas Mavericks (+3000)

Kyrie Irving is recovering from a torn ACL and Dallas may be putting a lot of pressure on Cooper Flagg to be great right away with its accelerated timeline due to the age of its roster.

The Mavs should be in the mix for the playoffs, but D’Angelo Russell as their primary ball-handler doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence in a loaded Western Conference. 

Philadelphia 76ers (+3500)

The East is weak, so Philly belongs here, but I wouldn’t trust a team that has no idea when – or how much – Joel Embiid and Paul George are going to play. 

San Antonio Spurs (+6500)

Victor Wembanyama is back and healthy, and the Spurs finally will get to see the duo of him and De’Aaron Fox for an extended period this season. This may be a season too soon, but OKC did earn the No. 1 seed the season before it won the title and the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves had some “ahead of schedule” seasons recently as well.

San Antonio should at least be in the play-in mix if Wemby is able to stay on the court. 

Boston Celtics (+8000)

Will Tatum come back in the 2025-26 season? Boston gutted its roster with Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford all leaving town, but Tatum has already returned to the court as he recovers from an Achilles injury.  

Boston may keep him out as a precaution, but there are worse cores than Jaylen Brown and Derrick White in the East. The C’s could still compete for a playoff spot – even though these odds suggest that this will be a major down year. 

Indiana Pacers (+13000)

Haliburton won’t be back, but the core of the Pacers roster is still rock solid and Rick Carlisle isn’t going to be interested in tanking. Since Indiana plays a unique and frenetic style, I could see it stealing enough wins to make the playoffs this season, but there’s also a real chance the team starts slow and ends up in the lottery as well. 

Play-In Purgatory

Memphis Grizzlies (+20000)

Memphis is already dealing with a ton of frontcourt injuries to players like Zach Edey, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke, and it moved Desmond Bane in the offseason.

Ja Morant has not been healthy enough for Memphis to sustain success for an entire regular season recently, and I think the Grizzlies are a play-in team at best in 2026. 

Miami Heat (+25000)

Tyler Herro’s foot/ankle injury really hurts Miami’s outlook, as it’ll be down its top offensive player to open the season. The addition of Norman Powell was a nice offseason move, but Miami has been a play-in team in each of the last three seasons. I’d expect a similar finish, unless Powell or Andrew Wiggins exceed expectations in a big way, in the 2025-26 campaign. 

Toronto Raptors (+30000)

The first year of Toronto's Immanuel Quickley-RJ Barrett-Scottie Barnes-Brandon Ingram-Jakob Poeltl experiment will be interesting to watch, as this team lacks the floor spacing to truly be an elite offense.

Still, there’s a chance the Raptors sneak into a playoff spot in a wide open Eastern Conference. 

Sacramento Kings (+50000)

The Kings made the play-in tournament last season, but they didn’t get much better in the offseason and have an overpriced roster that has a clear ceiling in the West. The trio Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine is good enough for the Kings to avoid last in the West, but it’s likely not good enough to be a top-six team. 

Phoenix Suns (+60000)

Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are out, and Devin Booker has his work cut out for him if the Suns want to make the play-in. The best-case scenario for Phoenix may be landing the No. 9 or No. 10 spot this season. 

New Orleans Pelicans (+60000)

The Pelicans can’t tank after they made a crazy trade on draft night to move their 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta, but they don’t really have the makings of a playoff team in the West. Maybe Zion Williamson stays healthy enough to get the team in the play-in, but a top-six spot seems extremely unlikely for this core. 

Chicago Bulls (+80000)

The Bulls have won 40, 39 and 39 games the last three seasons and have become a frequent flier in the play-in tournament. After making very little upgrades to the roster this offseason, Chicago is destined to be right back in the No. 7 to No. 10 seed mix in the East. 

Portland Trail Blazers (+80000)

What is Portland doing? 

The Blazers drafted a project in Yang Hansen in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, but they also traded for a win-now piece in Jrue Holiday – who has a huge contract. With Scoot Henderson (hamstring) out to start the season, Portland’s season could turn into a rebuild quickly. 

Still, the Blazers made a run at the end of the 2024-25 season and nearly made the play-in tournament. It’s possible they’re in the mix in a loaded Western Conference. 

Tank Commanders

Washington Wizards (+100000)

Washington has some intriguing young pieces, including rookie Tre Johnson, but this team may not be ready to make the playoffs just yet. Even in a weak East, oddsmakers have the Wizards in the bottom of the standings in the 2025-26 season. 

Charlotte Hornets (+100000)

Can LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller stay healthy? That’s the only hope for Charlotte getting into the play-in conversation, and the team has a serious lack of frontcourt depth after the Mark Williams trade on draft night. 

These odds show that the Hornets are far from playoff contention at the moment. 

Brooklyn Nets (+100000)

Brooklyn drafted five players in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, and it traded for Michael Porter Jr.’s bloated salary. This is a clear rebuilding year for a team that overachieved in the 2024-25 season. 

Utah Jazz (+100000)

Let’s be real, this season is more about development – and a potential Lauri Markkanen trade – than it is about Utah attempting to make the play-in.