NBA Title Odds | Thunder, Nuggets, Cavs The Favorites

Written By Nick Crain | Last Updated at February 10, 2026

The reigning NBA champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, opened as the favorites to win the 2025-26 NBA Finals with a +240 price. From there, the field was wide open with the Nuggets and Cavaliers in the next tier of contention. These odds fluctuate all throughout the season, but to this point, preseason markets appear to be relatively in-line to how things are shaking out.

Here's everything you ned to know about betting on NBA Finals futures.

NBA Finals Odds

Who are the current frontrunners to win a championship this season? The Thunder have a solid shot to go back-to-back, but who else is projected to have an advantage?

Team	Odds
1. Oklahoma City Thunder	+130
2. San Antonio Spurs	+500
3. Boston Celtics	+550
4. Denver Nuggets	+1000
5. Cleveland Cavaliers	+1200
6. New York Knicks	+1800
7. Detroit Pistons	+1900
8. Minnesota Timberwolves	+4500
9. Houston Rockets	+5500
10. Charlotte Hornets	+12500

Odds via FanDuel

How the NBA Playoffs Work

The 2025-26 NBA regular season consists of 82 games for each team with the top six teams in each conference earning an automatic playoff berth. Teams that finish in the 7-10 spots in each conference will participate in the Play-In tournament.

The 9th seed in each conference will have a chance to play its way into the playoffs by beating the 8th seed twice in a row. The 8th seed will have to win one of those games to advance. The scenario is the same for the 10th seed and 7th seed in each conference if the 10th seed qualifies.

The NBA will then use best-of-seven series formats for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals in both the Eastern and Western Conferences.

Understanding NBA Futures

NBA futures bets function like futures bets in other sports. They’re typically based on an end-of-season outcome. Futures bets are usually made available on both the team and player levels.

Prior to the start of a season, team-level futures could include a wager on the minimum number of wins a team will capture in that season or whether a team will win its division or conference.

Player-level futures include whether a player will win the MVP, Rookie of the Year or Sixth Man of the Year awards, for example. Other player-level futures are based on whether a player will reach certain benchmarks in common statistical categories such as points, 3-point shots, rebounds or assists for the season.

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You are also able to bet on NBA games every day during the regular season. View NBA odds for every game here.

Where do I Find Futures Bets on an Online Sportsbook?

At online betting sites and betting apps, available futures wagers are typically found under their own tab as a subcategory of wagers available for a particular sport. Like the odds for other bet types, futures bets are typically labeled with a number that has a “plus” or “minus” sign next to it.

In the case of futures bets, a “minus” sign would be placed next to a team or player that has a higher probability of reaching the statistical goal. Teams or players with a “plus” sign are considered by oddsmakers to have a lesser chance of reaching that goal. The higher the number next to the plus sign signifies the lower the probability the team or player achieves it.

It’s also important to note that futures odds for both players and teams can certainly fluctuate throughout the course of a season.