2025-26 NBA Finals Odds: Cavaliers Improve at Trade Deadline
NBA championship odds for the 2025-26 season are getting more attention in the wake of the trade deadline. Still, the Oklahoma City Thunder, coming off their first title, remain a solid favorite to repeat.
Following OKC in odds to win the NBA Finals are the Denver Nuggets. Beyond those two, no other team is shorter than 13/1 at the moment.
Below are current 2025-26 NBA Finals odds from an array of sportsbooks, including bet365, followed by oddsmaker insights through three weeks. Check back regularly for updates and use our BetMGM bonus code to get the most out of your action on 2026 NBA futures odds.
(Feature image credit: Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
Nba Champion Odds
| Time | Bet365 | BetMGM | DraftKings | Caesars | FanDuel | HardRock | RiversCasino | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |  › |  › |  › |  › |  › |  › |  › | |
| +120 | +125 | +130 | +135 | +125 | +130 | +125 | ||
| +550 | +550 | +450 | +500 | +600 | +500 | +500 | ||
| +1200 | +1400 | +1200 | +1200 | +1300 | +1100 | +1200 | ||
| +1200 | +1400 | +1300 | +1000 | +1300 | +1300 | +1400 | ||
| +1400 | +1300 | +1500 | +1200 | +1200 | +1600 | +1400 | ||
| +1500 | +1600 | +1500 | +1400 | +1400 | +1500 | +1600 | ||
| +1500 | +1400 | +1600 | +1200 | +1400 | +1500 | +1400 | ||
| +2000 | +1800 | +2200 | +2200 | +1900 | +2000 | +2000 | ||
| +2800 | +2500 | +3500 | +2800 | +2700 | +3000 | +1600 | ||
| +4000 | +4000 | +3500 | +4000 | +4500 | +4000 | +4000 | ||
| +4000 | +5000 | +4000 | +4500 | +4500 | +4000 | +4000 | ||
| +8000 | +6600 | +10000 | +10000 | +7500 | +7500 | +8000 | ||
|
| ||||||||
2026 NBA Finals Odds
No Blockbuster Trade
Leading up to the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, it was thought that Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo might be dealt. As the 3 p.m. ET deadline came and went, though, Antetokounmpo remained in Milwaukee.
He's currently injured, out with a calf strain since Jan. 24. And the Bucks are having a dreadful season, at 20-29 through games of Feb. 5. BetMGM has Milwaukee as a huge +100000 long shot (1000/1) in NBA championship futures odds.
"Giannis not going anywhere wasn't entirely surprising, after hearing reports going around that teams were informing the Bucks that they would have better packages in the offseason," BetMGM trading manager Hal Egeland said.
Indeed, there could be an offseason trade of the nine-time All-Star.
"Even though he didn't move, we may have already seen Giannis play his last game as a Buck, with this upcoming draft and their incentive to keep him healthy," Egeland said.
Deadline Winners and Losers
The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers, in exchange for Darius Garland. That led to a notable move in NBA Finals futures odds, with the Cavs going from +1800 to the +1300 third choice.
"Harden obviously has had his postseason struggles. But this increases the Cavs' chances of winning this year," Egeland said. "Evan Mobley and Harden could work very well together. It'll be interesting to see how that works with Donovan Mitchell."
The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Ayo Dosunmu in a deal with the Chicago Bulls, sending Rob Dillingham to the Windy City, among others.
Initially, BetMGM responded with its biggest positive move in NBA championship odds, as Minnesota went from +3000 to +1500. The T-Wolves have since adjusted to +2200.
"The Timberwolves, whom I've already been high on, upgraded their backcourt with Ayo," Egeland said. "The Dillingham pick [in the 2024 draft] never seemed to work. Now, the Wolves go into the second half of the season with a more complete roster."
The Boston Celtics sent Anfernee Simons to Chicago, in exchange for Nikola Vucevic.
"The Celtics haven't had any odds movement. But it's worth mentioning that Vucevic gives them a more complete roster, contingent on the Jayson Tatum return," Egeland said.
Tatum tore an Achilles in last season's playoffs. He might return this season. Boston is the +1500 co-fifth choice in NBA futures odds, joined by the New York Knicks.
So who were the deadline losers?
"The Rockets and Nuggets are who I'd deem as losers, simply due to inactivity," Egeland said.
Both teams' odds adjusted in the wake of the deadline, with Houston going from +1800 to +2000 and Denver from +550 to +600. But by Feb. 6, Houston returned to +1800 and Denver to +550.
Thunder Rumbling
LATEST UPDATE: The Oklahoma City Thunder went a ridiculous 24-1 through 25 games this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co. opened the season on an 8-0 run before their first loss, then went on a 16-game winning streak.
Finally, in their 26th game, the Thunder suffered loss No. 2 in a 111-109 setback vs. the Spurs. Since then, OKC has let off the gas a bit. Still, through games of Feb. 5, Oklahoma City is 40-12, winning at a 76.9% clip.
BetMGM opened OKC as the +240 favorite in 2025-26 NBA Finals odds, a rather short price. As the season began, the Thunder were out a touch to +260. As of Dec. 3, with the win streak at 13, the Thunder were +240 again, and just before Christmas, OKC was all the way into +110.
The Thunder are now at +125, still lapping the field in NBA futures odds. For the season, Oklahoma City is No. 2 in ticket count, and in money, the Thunder are No. 1 by a significant margin at BetMGM.
But action has receded a bit lately.
"Over the past [few] weeks, the Thunder are the fifth-most-bet team in terms of total bets and sixth in terms of handle," BetMGM trading manager Hal Egeland said. "The action has slowed down a bit after their ridiculous start.
"But I think they'll be toward the top of the list at just about every point of the season, unless there are some significant injuries."
And BetMGM wouldn't mind a repeat title, at the moment.
"Overall, they're a decent result for us. But that's completely due to the price," Egeland said, alluding to OKC's short odds all season.
The Denver Nuggets (33-19) are holding it together, despite superstar Nikola Jokic being out since Dec. 29 with a hyperextended knee. As noted above, Denver is the +550 second choice in BetMGM's NBA championship futures, actually shorter than the +700 before Jokic's injury.
"Over the last [few] weeks, the Nuggets are second in total bets, behind the Pistons, and first in total handle," Egeland said. "The Nuggets being able to compete without Jokic on the floor is a positive sign. We've been high on them all year, and this only reinforces that belief."
As noted above, Cleveland is the +1300 third choice, followed by the Detroit Pistons at +1400, then the co-fifth choice of Boston and New York at +1500.
The top five in ticket count in BetMGM's NBA championship odds:
- Nuggets
- Thunder
- San Antonio Spurs
- Knicks
- Los Angeles Lakers
And the top five in money in BetMGM's NBA Finals futures odds:
- Thunder
- Nuggets
- Spurs
- Lakers
- Knicks
Los Angeles (31-19) was into +1400 in mid-December, but is now +4000.
More Trending Teams
Egeland noted three teams getting bettors' attention over the past couple weeks: Detroit, San Antonio and Boston.
As mentioned above, the Celtics have been without Jayson Tatum all season, after the perennial All-Star tore an Achilles in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals. But he could return this season.
"The Celtics are intriguing for some obvious reasons," Egeland said. "Joe Mazzulla is a legitimate contender for Coach of the Year. The Celtics have optimized their offense with their style of play.
"If Tatum returns and is near his normal production, the Celtics are a legitimate contender."
Through games of Feb. 5, Detroit is 37-13, the best record in the Eastern Conference.
"The Pistons are playing incredible basketball, and we have a strong customer base in Michigan that loves to bet their hometown teams," Egeland said. "I don't believe the Pistons belong with the upper echelon of teams in the NBA, talent-wise.
"But since they're in the East, they have to be taken seriously as a contender."
San Antonio (35-16) has the second-best record in the West, behind only OKC.
"The Spurs have blossomed into one of the best teams in the league, with one of the best players leading the way," Egeland said, alluding of course to Victor Wembanyama. "I think everyone expected Wemby to be a star. But the roster outside of him is ahead of schedule.
"Pair that with the Spurs' success against the Thunder, and it's no surprise bettors are interested in San Antonio."
Indeed, the Spurs are 4-1 vs. the Thunder this season, including back-to-back double-digit wins in a home-and-home Dec. 23 and 25. Most recently, San Antonio beat visiting OKC 116-106 on Feb. 4.
BetMGM has a handful of teams it's rooting against in NBA championship futures odds:
- Phoenix Suns
- Spurs
- Lakers
- Pistons
- Celtics
"I had excluded the Suns in my [December] update, because I deemed them as a team that didn't have a realistic chance to win. That was a mistake. They've done an impressive job this year."
With with a 31-21 mark so far, Phoenix is still a distant +12500 in odds to win the NBA Finals. But the Suns were +15000 in mid-January.
The Golden State Warriors would normally be a root-against, as well. However, on Jan. 19, Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL, ending his season and further lengthening the Warriors' title odds.
"Over the past month, we've dropped the Warriors from +3000 to [as long as] +20000, primarily due to the Butler injury," Egeland said. "But even before that, they were trending in the wrong direction. I don't view them as a legitimate title contender at this point.
"I think they're pretty limited on what they can do to drastically improve their roster. It's sad to say, but we may have seen the last chance Steph Curry had to win a title."
At the deadline, the Warriors added Kristaps Porzingis in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks. Golden State is now +12500 at BetMGM.
Among BetMGM's best outcomes in NBA Finals futures:
- Cavaliers
- Toronto Raptors (+12500)
- Timberwolves
- Rockets
- Knicks
Flying Under the Radar
Egeland pointed to two teams he thinks are under the radar as the NBA season nears the end of January.
"Looking at the action, I'd have to call out the Timberwolves and Rockets," Egeland said. "There are four teams that rank top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating: the Thunder, Spurs, Rockets and Timberwolves.
"The Rockets and Timberwolves are both pretty decent results for us, despite being solid overall teams. Both teams have their flaws, but now have some legitimate playoff experience. I think either would be a tough matchup for the top teams in the West, once we get to the playoffs."
Opening Odds to win 2025-26 NBA Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending champions and opened as the +240 betting choice to repeat as champions. Below are BetMGM's opening odds to win the 2026 NBA Finals.
- Oklahoma City Thunder +240
- New York Knicks +900
- Cleveland Cavaliers +1000
- Indiana Pacers +1300
- Houston Rockets +1300
- Orlando Magic +1400
- Minnesota Timberwolves +1400
- Los Angeles Lakers +1500
- Denver Nuggets +1600
- Boston Celtics +1800
- San Antonio Spurs +1800
- Golden State Warriors +2500
- Philadelphia 76ers +3500
- Dallas Mavericks +3500
- Los Angeles Clippers +3500
- Detroit Pistons +5000
- Milwaukee Bucks +8000
- Miami Heat +10000
- Memphis Grizzlies +15000
- Toronto Raptors +20000
- Atlanta Hawks +25000
- New Orleans Pelicans +25000
- Phoenix Suns +30000
- Sacramento Kings +30000
- Brooklyn Nets +50000
- Chicago Bulls +50000
- Portland Trail Blazers +50000
- Charlotte Hornets +100000
- Washington Wizards +100000
- Utah Jazz +100000
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How To Bet On NBA Futures
Betting on the NBA is widely popular in the United States and the NBA Futures Odds market continues to cater to both novice and professional bettors. The NBA championship is decided very June with a best-of-seven matchup known as the NBA Finals.
This Future Odds market is open year-round and the oddsmakers will adjust their numbers when trades, injuries, free agent signings, or other changes affect the NBA championship odds. The opening odds come out at the end of the current season or just after it ends, with NBA Future Odds posted on all 30 teams in the league.
For extra value betting on NBA games, use our BetMGM bonus code and get bonus bets as a new user welcome.
Betting on NBA Futures may not always provide big payouts due to the nature of the league, where dynasties are often created by player movement in free agency. However, betting on the right team early can provide better results, as seen in 2019 when the Toronto Raptors won with +1850 odds to win the NBA championship in August 2018. Compare that to the +750 odds the Raptors had in December 2018 and you can see how the NBA Futures odds could offer less value as the season progresses and the player talent is on display.
The NBA championship futures betting market takes in the most volume of wagers and money at sportsbooks. But there are other wagering opportunities in the NBA Futures market, including conference and division winners.
Sportsbooks also offer up NBA futures odds on specific player awards, usually just for Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year. These wagers are a little tricky since those bets and their results are based off subjectivity. Both awards are determined by votes from sports writers and we all know that everybody has an opinion.
Where Can I Bet On The 2025 NBA Championship?
There are several legal sportsbook options in the United States. One sportsbook that we are particularly excited about is Fanatics Sportsbook. Be sure to check out our review and take a look at their NBA betting options!
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In addition to betting on how teams will finish in the NBA playoffs, there are multiple angles you can bet on individual games. Check out our NBA Las Vegas odds page for the standard betting odds on each game.
Where Can I Learn How To Bet On Basketball?
To learn more about betting on basketball, check out our basketball betting tutorial.
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