Latest Championship Futures & Expert Picks

Updated:
May 2, 2026 , 10:15 PM ET

• 5 min read

The Boston Celtics were the clear favorites to win the Eastern Conference, but lost in Game 7 to the Philadelphia 76ers — putting the East up for grabs.

The NBA Championship odds board saw quite the shift in the Eastern Conference, as the Boston Celtics were eliminated tonight after losing Game 7 to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Cs were the clear favorites in the East, as the only team in the conference shorter than 16/1 to win, but their unexpected departure now places the Knicks — Philly’s next opponent — as the favorite in the conference. 

We say “in the conference” because the two biggest favorites overall are OKC and San Antonio in the West, sitting at -150 and +350.

Here are the latest NBA odds to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy following the Sixers’ upset of the Celtics.

🏆 Latest 2026 NBA Championship odds

Odds updated as of 5-2, courtesy of bet365, one of our best betting sites. Sign up with our bet365 promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.

The Thunder’s odds moved from +230 before the season began to +105 before the playoffs — and after pulling off the sweep, they leave Round 1 as -130 favorites. Those odds would likely be shorter if not for the question marks surrounding Jalen Williams.

Behind OKC are the Spurs (+400) and then a large gap to the Knicks (+1600) — in large part because the clear Eastern favorite (Boston) was eliminated in the first round.

Following their upset win (and rallying from down 3-1), Philadelphia’s odds moved from +12500 before Game 7… to +4500 ahead of its second-round matchup with New York.

Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account

📈 2026 NBA Finals odds over time

Here’s a visual representation of how the NBA championship odds have evolved since the offseason.

🔮 NBA Championship prediction

Oklahoma City has the cleanest runway to be the best team in 2026: an MVP-caliber engine in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entering the heart of his prime, a two-way star wing in Jalen Williams, and a 7-footer in Chet Holmgren whose blend of rim protection, spacing, and feel supercharges modern schemes. That trio already drives elite half-court efficiency and a top-tier defense, and it’s backed by organizational continuity that reliably turns role players into playoff-useful pieces. Holmgren’s strength and timing appear to be fully NBA-hardened, unlocking more switching and fewer help-and-recover compromises, while SGA’s mid-range and foul-drawing remain matchup-proof in May and June.

Depth and optionality push the Thunder over the top. They can win big or small, play five-out without sacrificing rim protection, and toggle between pressure defense and conservative coverages depending on opponent. Crucially, they still have surplus picks and cap flexibility to plug the inevitable holes that show up in a long postseason, whether that’s a second unit scorer, another stretch big, or a specialist wing.

So, why did I decide to sprinkle half a unit on the Spurs in late February? Health. San Antonio was clicking at just the right time while Oklahoma City dealt with injuries to SGA, Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell. That was a lot of star power riding the pine.

I added another half unit at the end of March as the Spurs moved to within 2.5 games of the Thunder on the strength of a dominant 13-1 stretch. Consider San Antonio my insurance policy.

With the postseason set to start, let’s sprinkle half a unit on someone in the East — and why not the No. 1 seed at 20/1! Cade Cunningham is only getting healthier after returning from a collapsed lung suffered a month ago, and Detroit will avoid the likes of the Celtics and Knicks until a potential conference final matchup. This could shape up to be a great hedge opportunity for a) if the Pistons are favored in the ECF and b) we could have both sides of a potential NBA Finals… at plus money.

💰 Sportsbook betting splits and insights

Highest ticket percentage
•    Nuggets 12.0%
•    Pistons 10.8%
•    Spurs 10.8%
 
Highest handle percentage
•    Spurs 17.5%
•    Thunder 16.2%
•    Nuggets 11.4%
 
Biggest liability
•    Lakers
•    Timberwolves 

Data courtesy of BetMGM.

2026 NBA Championship opening odds

• Thunder +230
• Knicks +900
• Pacers +900
• Timberwolves +1000
• Cavaliers +1100
• Rockets +1200
• Lakers +1600
• Spurs +1600
• Nuggets +1700
• Celtics +2000
• Warriors +2300
• Magic +2500
• Mavericks +4000
• Clippers +4000
• 76ers +4500
• Heat +5000
• Pistons +7000
• Bucks +7500
• Grizzlies +10000
• Raptors +15000
• Suns +17000
• Kings +20000
• Pelicans +20000
• Nets +25000
• Hawks +30000
• Bulls +40000
• Trail Blazers +40000
• Wizards +60000
• Hornets +60000
• Jazz +60000

No team has overachieved more this season than the Pistons, who entered the 2025-26 campaign with distant +7000 odds.

Detroit shocked pundits by racing out to a 15-2 record thanks to a deep, athletic roster and the emergence of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, both of whom were named All-Stars. Their growing chemistry is the secret sauce that could power Detroit to a deep postseason run.

NBA Championship trends

• Since the Warriors’ 2018 repeat, the NBA has seen seven different champions in seven years. This is the longest such streak since the late 1970s.
• 22 of the last 25 champions ranked in the Top 10 in Defensive Rating during the regular season.
• 23 of the last 25 champions were Top 5 in either Offensive or Defensive efficiency.
• Since 2019, nearly every champion has been led by a non-U.S. superstar or a team built on international depth.

🏀 NBA Finals winners since 2000

Odds courtesy of Sports Odds History.

NBA Championship Odds FAQs

Pages related to this topic