To understand the NBA betting odds for the upcoming 2026-27 season, you need to know what happened this offseason, and boy, oh boy, did a lot happen. For starters, several superstar players changed teams, including LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics trading Jaylen Brown to the 76ers, and Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat; Ja Morant went from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Portland Trail Blazers, and so much more. With all of this movement, the best NBA betting sites were busy this offseason adjusting the odds for the NBA Finals winner. On this page, we’ll examine the latest betting odds, the top five teams, dark horses, award odds, and more. The latest NBA betting oddsWhile NBA Finals odds vary by sportsbook, here are the top 10 NBA Championship betting odds across five of the best online sportsbooks. Oklahoma City Thunder: +260 with BetMGMSan Antonio Spurs: +270 with DraftKingsPhiladelphia 76ers: +800 with Caesars New York Knicks: +1000 at FanDuelBoston Celtics: +1200 at theScore BetMinnesota Timberwolves: +1800 at Caesars Cleveland Cavaliers: +2500 at BetMGMToronto Raptors: +2800 at Caesars Denver Nuggets: +2500 at theScore BetDetroit Pistons: +3000 at BetMGM *Odds are correct as of October 16th, and are subject to change.Depending on the sportsbook, the Thunder and Spurs are essentially on par. All sportsbooks seem to think the Thunder and Spurs, both in the Western Conference, have the best chance of winning the NBA Finals. The strongest teams according to the NBA betting oddsWith those teams in mind, let’s look at the top five and their key players, big offseason moves, strengths, weaknesses, and more. Oklahoma City ThunderThe Oklahoma City Thunder enter this season off a 64-18 record, finishing first in the West but losing 4-3 in the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder made few roster moves, but they drafted Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz in the first round, re-signed Isaiah Hartenstein, and saw a few players, most notably Lu Dortz, leave via a trade to the Atlanta Hawks. With that, there’s a lot of status quo with the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a perennial MVP candidate, and if Jalen Williams can stay healthy, that’ll only make them better. In terms of weaknesses, it’s really hard to pinpoint anything; this is a deep team. If SGA gets hurt, that could lower their ceiling, but overall, this will be a strong team, and it all starts on opening night against the team that ended their season last year: the Spurs. Back the Thunder to win the NBA Championship at +260 with BetMGM San Antonio SpursThe Spurs had a fantastic 2025-26, reaching the NBA Finals, but they fell to the Knicks 4-1. They enter this season with their top NBA Draft pick, Jayden Quintance (No. 20 overall), and also brought in Tobias Harris on a two-year deal. Their biggest move was giving superstar Victor Wembanyama a five-year, $252 million deal. Alongside Wembanyama is a strong collection of guards, like Dylan Harper, who will only get better and more dynamic. Stephon Castle will also look to take another step forward. Finally, De’Aaron Fox averaged 18.6 points per game last season. If I had to nitpick a weakness, it’s 3-point shooting. They were 14th in 3-point shooting last season, at 35.9%, and all three guards mentioned shot below that percentage. Still, as long as they have Wembanyama, they’ll be fantastic. Back the Spurs to win the NBA Championship at +270 with DraftKings Philadelphia 76ersNo team in the NBA made more big moves than the 76ers, signing James and trading for Brown. They also brought in Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and drafted Labaron Philon with the No. 22 overall pick. In acquiring Brown, they traded away Paul George; Andre Drummond signed with the Knicks; Kelly Oubre Jr. signed with the Pacers; and Quentin Grimes signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Beyond James and Brown, the 76ers also have Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey. With all of this star power and depth, the 76ers are a legitimate title contender. There are things to worry about, though, including Embiid’s injury history and James being 42. Back the 76ers to win the NBA Championship at +800 with Caesars New York KnicksThe Knicks finished 53-29 and won the NBA Finals, taking down the Spurs in 5 games. Their top two signings were Drummond and Jordan Clarkson. They did see big man Mitchell Robinson sign with the Celtics. In bringing in Drummond, he could potentially be an upgrade from Robinson, but Robinson was unique with his ability to protect the rim. They also have Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Josh Hart. As for their weakness, it’s the realization that there’s been a different NBA champion in each of the last eight years. That said, the Knicks will still be a top team in the East. Back the Knicks to win the NBA Championship at +1000 with FanDuel Boston CelticsThe Celtics are coming off a 56-26 record, finishing 2nd in the East, but losing in the first round to the 76ers, 4-3. They drafted Chris Cenac Jr. No. 27 overall and also signed Tobinson, Mike Conley Jr., Neemias Queta, and Jordan Walsh. They traded away Brown and got George in return, but also saw Nikola Vucevic sign with the Magic. From here, there’s no question that Jayson Tatum is the No. 1 option on this team, with George as strong support and Derrick White at point guard. Not only that, but Queta adds some excellent depth behind Robinson, and Payton Pritchard averaged 17 points per game last year. Robinson should be great, but he has a history of injuries. If Queta steps up, I do have some worries about the center position, but overall, the Celtics will look to replace Brown and see what that looks like. Back the Celtics to win the NBA Championship at +1200 with theScore Bet Dark horses in the NBA betting oddsWith the top five teams out of the way, here are three legitimate dark-horse contenders that could come out of nowhere, continuing our NBA betting preview. Toronto RaptorsAnytime a team brings in Kawhi Leonard, they’re going to immediately enter the conversation of being a title contender. In addition to Leonard, they drafted Allen Graves at No. 19 overall, signed Kyle Anderson, but also saw Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick leave in the trade for Leonard, and Sandro Mamukelashvili signed with the Lakers. Leonard now joins Scottie Barnes, which could be a fantastic duo.I would like to see them maybe make a deal mid-season if things are going well to upgrade the center position from Jakob Poeltl, though. He averaged 10.7 points, 7 rebounds, and fewer than 1 block per game last year. Back the Raptors to win the NBA Championship at +2800 with Caesars Indiana PacersThe Pacers are coming off a dreadful 19-63 season, but there are reasons to be excited for this season, headlined by the return of Tyrese Haliburton. The team drafted Braden Smith with the No. 38 overall pick and brought in Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr.In addition to Haliburton coming back, they’ll also have a full season of Ivica Zubac. He played just five games for the team last year. Of course, there are a lot of unknowns, but there’s legitimate star power coming back, and Zubac will be a great big man. Back the Pacers to win the NBA Championship at +4000 with BetMGM Orlando MagicThe Magic are a team that’s felt like they’re on the cusp, but they’ve been bounced early from the playoffs for years. Last year, they went 45-37, finishing No. 8 in the East, but lost 4-3 in the first round to the Detroit Pistons. The team brought in Jonathan Isaac and Vucevic, and also has Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter Jr. The Magic now have a new head coach, Sean Sweeney, who has worked with superstars in the past like Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, and Antetokounmpo. So, with a new head coach who’s used to getting the most out of stars in previous roles, the Magic’s core needs to improve on the perimeter. If they can improve there and Sweeney fills in nicely, the Magic could be a sleeper team to watch. Back the Magic to win the NBA Championship at +8000 with DraftKings My NBA betting tips for the 2026/27 seasonBeyond the NBA Finals and possible winners, here are my best bets for awards like MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year. MVPFor the MVP winner, it’s hard not to go with Wembanyama. He finished third in MVP voting last year, behind Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. He played 64 games last season, starting 55 of them, and he averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1 steal, and 3.1 blocks per game. He’s an unbelievable player who also shot nearly 35% from beyond the arc. He averaged just 29.2 minutes per game, though, so who knows what would’ve happened if he played a bit more, such as closer to his 33.2 minutes per game mark, from 2024-25. Wembanyama is a candidate for 30 points per game. Back Victor Wembanyama to win the NBA MVP at +210 with DraftKings Rookie of the YearGoing chalky once again here, but it’s hard to pass up Cameron Boozer. Through three preseason games, he’s averaging 12.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. What I love most about his game is that he can not only score, but he’ll contribute in all other ways.I think his preseason average signals what’s to come; he’ll stuff the stat sheet every night and be a consistent double-double threat. Back Cameron Boozer to win the NBA ROY at +300 with BetMGM Defensive Player of the YearIt says a lot that Wembanyama is -360 to win Defensive Player of the Year. He’s just unstoppable on defense, winning the award last year and receiving all 100 first-place votes. He had 5.0 defensive win shares, averaged 3.1 blocks per game, and 9.5 defensive rebounds. For perspective, no other player averaged 2.0 blocks per game or more last season. Back Victor Wembanyama to win the NBA DPOY at -360 with DraftKings Key dates in the 2026/27 NBA seasonOctober 20, 2026: NBA Opening NightOctober 30 – December 11, 2026: NBA CupDecember 25th 2026: NBA Christmas Day games (Knicks vs Spurs NBA Finals rematch, LeBron James back in LA)January 14, 2027: NBA Paris GameJanuary 17, 2027: NBA Manchester GameJanuary 21, 2027: Jaylen Brown returns to BostonJanuary 26–30, 2027: NBA Rivals WeekJanuary 28, 2027: Giannis Antetokounmpo returns to MilwaukeeFebruary 6, 2027: Ja Morant returns to MemphisFebruary 11, 2027: NBA Trade DeadlineFebruary 19–21, 2027: NBA All-Star Weekend in PhoenixApril 11, 2027: NBA Regular Season EndsApril 13–16, 2027: NBA Play-In TournamentApril 17, 2027: NBA Playoffs BeginJune 2027: NBA Finals FAQs ahead of the 2026/27 NBA season1. How quickly can a team’s betting odds change?Betting odds for a team to win a game or even the NBA Finals can change in an instant. A star player could get hurt, a trade could happen, or a coach could be fired. Numerous factors can massively alter a team’s odds on a per-game basis or in the NBA Finals. 2. How many games are there in a season, and how many games might a team play in a typical week?All NBA teams will play 82 games during the regular season. So, with all 30 teams, there are 1,230 total games. In terms of a given week, most teams will play around three games. That said, you’ll see some teams play between two and five games per week. Five games in a week are uncommon, but four can happen, especially with back-to-back games. 3. How often has a rank outsider defied the odds and won the NBA Championship?Since the 2002-03 season, there have been eight teams to win the NBA Finals with preseason odds of +1000 or longer: 2022-23: Denver Nuggets (+1800)2002-03: San Antonio Spurs (+1100)2003-04: Detroit Pistons (+1500)2007-08: Boston Celtics (+1000)2010-11: Dallas Mavericks (+2000)2013-14: San Antonio Spurs (+1200)2014-15: Golden State Warriors (+2800)2018-19: Toronto Raptors (+1850)About the authorRichard JanvrinRichard Janvrin brings nearly a decade of experience covering sports, sports betting, and everything iGaming. Richard received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism/English from the University of New Hampshire. Throughout his career, Richard has written for sites like Bleacher Report, Forbes, The Game Day, WSN, Gambling.com, and many more.Find him on Twitter: @RichardJanvrinRemember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – www.gamcare.org.ukFind our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.