After a sensational year that saw the Oklahoma City Thunder claim the NBA championship in 2025, fans are now preparing for the 2026 campaign in what promises to be an exciting season once again.
While the Thunder are looking to retain and go back-to-back, they will have a number of teams pushing them all the way who are looking to provide stiff competition and try to wrestle the crown back off them.
But who are the favorites? We’ll take a look at the teams who are in the mix to win the championship this season at this early stage, as we provide you with our best free NBA betting picks as we aim to earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the court.
| NBA Championship 2026 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +275 | +265 | +265 |
| Denver Nuggets | +700 | +800 | +800 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| New York Knicks | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Houston Rockets | +850 | +700 | +700 |
| Orlando Magic | +1400 | +1800 | +1800 |
| LA Lakers | +1600 | +1400 | +1400 |
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Below you’ll find a list of the favorites to win the 2025/26 NBA Championship.
The Thunder were the best team in the NBA last season, and considering the roster is full of elite, young talent, it’s no surprise they’re expected to lead the way once again this time around.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is fresh off of his first career MVP award, and considering the performance levels he reached, it’s hard to believe it will be his last. He was rewarded by the franchise with a brand new contract, as were Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, locking in key players for the peak years of their careers.
General manager Sam Presti has managed to build a team where veterans can fit in seamlessly, while there are a number of draft picks over the coming years which means they can easily be replaced and rotated with other players once they get past the required level, and likely on fairly cheap deals.
They got pretty lucky with injuries in 2024/25, with Gilgeous-Alexander proving to be one of the most durable players in the league. They’ll also be able to welcome Nikola Topic into the setup after he missed the entire season with a torn ACL.
They’ve not made any major moves in the market with their roster, but they were so far ahead of everyone else last year that they’re still favorites. History is against them, with no team going back-to-back since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018, and the value isn’t great considering the competition – so this is a bet to avoid at this stage of the season.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
When you have Nikola Jokic, the best player in the league, you’re always in the mix to be crowned NBA champions in whatever season you’re competing in.
After winning the championship in 2023 they have struggled since, failing to progress past the second-round of the playoffs in either season, but they’ve done a great job of improving in the off-season to head into the new season with a renewed confidence.
After disappointing seasons, the franchise have traded Michael Porter Jr to Brooklyn and brought in Cameron Johnson to replace him, which many consider to be a major upgrade in both his individual ability and his fit in the team alongside Jokic.
His cheaper contract has also allowed the Nuggets to bring in Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr in free agency, while they traded Dario Saric out in exchange for Jonas Valanciunas – which provides them with excellent cover and depth for their star man.
It seems unlikely at the moment, but it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if the Nuggets were able to pip Oklahoma to the crown in the Western Conference, and at odds of +800 the value is excellent for them to go all the way.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
The Knicks have been slowly building for a number of years, and finally reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1999 last season – but they’re now stronger and pushing to go even further.
They will come into the season with a new head coach in Mike Brown, with roster chiefs believing he is the man to step up and help them finally claim a championship. The team have added Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele as useful bench pieces, but the team will still be heavily relying on their star men Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to push them.
Brown is far less likely to run his key players into the ground during the regular season than his predecessor which will undoubtedly help in the post-season, while their rivals Boston Celtics are dealing with a serious injury problem too which could help.
At +800 there is great value in them to finally get the job done, but there is better value in other teams.
The Rockets are expected to be right in the mix after adding future hall of fame Kevin Durant to their roster following his exit from the Phoenix Suns.
Houston have struggled in recent years as they looked to rebuild the team to be able to compete, and despite having some missing pieces they finished as the second seed in the Western Conference last season. Now with Durant to lean on in the big moments, they could well go several steps further.
Houston was one of the league’s strongest defenses last season, but their inability to generate consistent offense when it mattered proved to be their undoing in their first-round series loss to the Warriors. Durant fixes that. Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks have left as part of the deal to bring him in, which could help balance things out too.
Alperen Sengun will provide great support coming off the back of his first-career All-Star appearance last year, while Amen Thompson will be hoping to experience that this year. They also extended the deals of key stars Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith, while veteran Dorian Finney-Smith has come in from the free agent market too.
Their biggest issue is the fact that they’ll be directly opposing the Thunder, but over the course of a long season, and with Duran’s addition, they can’t be ruled out, and at odds of +850, they shouldn’t be ignored.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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