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Oklahoma City Thunder unanimous favorites for 2026 NBA title
Oklahoma City Thunder players celebrate defeating the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Photo by Manuela Soldi/EPA-EFE
June 23 (UPI) -- Fresh off their first title, the Oklahoma City Thunder are unanimous favorites to repeat as NBA Finals champions in 2025-26, according to the oddsmakers.
FanDuel, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Caesars, Bet MGM and Hard Rock Bet each listed the Thunder as favorites as of Monday morning, less than 12 hours after they beat the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals in Oklahoma City.
The Cleveland Cavaliers received the second-best odds at three sportsbooks. The New York Knicks received the third-best odds or were tied for the third-best odds at four sportsbooks. They received the second-best odds from Hard Rock Bet.
The Houston Rockets, who recently agreed to trade for All-Star forward Kevin Durant, also are considered a title contender. They received the second-best odds from DraftKings and Bet MGM and were a Top 4 favorite at each of the six sportsbooks.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs and Golden State were among the other teams to receive Top 10 odds to win the title in 2026. The Pacers -- who lost star guard Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles injury in Game 7 -- were not listed as Top 10 favorites by FanDuel or BetMGM. Haliburton's prognosis could likely swing those odds.
Conversely, the Thunder will return an elite core led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who on Sunday became the first player in 25 years to capture a scoring title along with regular-season and NBA Finals MVP honors in the same season, All-Star forward Jalen Williams and 7-foot-1 center Chet Holmgren.
The 2025-26 NBA regular season is set to tip off in October.
