2026 NBA Championship Odds: Stimulated
The San Antonio Spurs are coming!
Considered by many to be a bubble team at the start of the season, the Spurs moved within three games of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference standings thanks to a six-game winning streak. That stretch includes an impressive 116-106 win over the aforementioned Thunder, against whom the Spurs are now 4-1 this season.
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San Antonio has a golden opportunity to get even closer — and improve its title chances — as OKC faces an abdominal strain against reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
We break down the latest odds as the league officially enters the second half of the season following the annual All-Star break.
🏆 Betting on the 2026 NBA championship
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Oklahoma City Thunder |
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Denver Nuggets |
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Cleveland Cavaliers |
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New York Knicks |
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San Antonio Spurs |
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Detroit Pistons |
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Houston Rockets |
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Los Angeles Lakers |
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Thunder odds have gone from +230 before the start of the season to +130 today. Rounding out the Top 5 are the Denver Nuggets (+500), Cleveland Cavaliers (+1200), New York Knicks (+1200) and Boston Celtics (+1200).
The Timberwolves have fallen from +1400 to +3500 in the last week after losing back-to-back games against the Pelicans and Clippers and failing to make any real impactful moves at the NBA trade deadline.
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📈 2026 NBA Finals Odds Over Time
Here’s a visual representation of how NBA championship odds have evolved since the offseason.
🔮 NBA Championship Prediction
Oklahoma City has the clearest path to becoming the best team in 2026: an MVP-caliber engine in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entering the heart of his prime, a stellar two-way wing in Jalen Williams and a 7-footer in Chet Holmgren whose blend of rim protection, spacing and sensitivity powers modern schemes. That trio already fosters elite half-court efficiency and top-tier defense, and is supported by organizational continuity that reliably turns role players into playoff-serviceable pieces. Holmgren’s strength and timing appear to be fully strengthened by the NBA, unlocking more switches and fewer help and recovery compromises, while SGA’s mid-range and foul play remain matchup-proof in May and June.
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Depth and options push the Thunder beyond the top. They can win big or small, play five-man without sacrificing rim protection, and alternate between pressure defense and conservative coverages depending on the opponent. Crucially, they still have excess picks and flexibility in the cap to fill the inevitable gaps that arise in a long postseason, whether it’s a second-unit scorer, another big stretch forward or a specialized wing.
Choose: Oklahoma City Thunder
Pole: 2 units
💰 Sports betting breakdowns and insights
Higher ticket rate
• Nuggets 8.8%
• Thunder 8.7%
• Nonconformists 8.2%
Higher management percentage
• Thunder 17.9%
• Nonconformists 16.3%
• Lakers 13.3%
The greatest responsibility
• Nonconformists
• Lakers
• Warriors
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Data courtesy of BetMGM.
Betting on the opening of the 2026 NBA championship
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here