2026 NBA Finals Odds: Thunder favoured to be first repeat winner in almost a decade

With the NBA’s pre-season in full swing, it’s time to scour the futures market for value.

We’re starting with the big one and looking at NBA Finals odds.

Let’s dive right in.

Make sure to check out Sports Interaction’s complete list of NBA futures.

NBA Finals favourite: Oklahoma City Thunder (+250)

The Thunder may be the most secure team in the NBA at the moment, with the core of their championship group locked up long-term.

It starts with Hamilton, Ontario native Shai Gilgeous Alexander, with the regular season MVP and Finals MVP inking a four-year, $285 million contract extension.

Chet Holmgren signed a five-year extension that could be worth up to $250 million, while Jalen Williams’ five-year extension is worth up to $287 million.

With an average age at just over 25-years-old, OKC should be a contender for years to come. However, there have been seven unique championship winners in the last seven years, a first for the NBA, and no championship team has advanced past the second round in the following season since 2018.

The pieces are there, but history is against the Thunder this season.

NBA Finals value pick: Cleveland Cavaliers (+700)

At 64-18, the Cleveland Cavaliers finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference last season while posting the second-highest winning percentage in team history. Expectations were championship-level heading into the playoffs, only for Cleveland to bow out in the second round.

Injuries played a big role in the Cavs’ early playoff exit last year, so it’s worth giving this team another look if they stay healthy. Cleveland’s core of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland is only more dangerous with the additions of Larry Nance Jr. and Lonzo Ball and their biggest competition in the East, Boston, looks a lot less dangerous with Jayson Tatum set to miss the season.

I’d pay a lot of money to see the Cavaliers face LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers in the NBA Finals.

NBA Finals long shot: Toronto Raptors (+10,000)

We’re as Canadian as they come, so of course we have to give some love to the NBA’s lone team north of the border. The Toronto Raptors are embarking on a new era with Masai Ujiri out of the picture and it’s a bold one as they have the eighth richest roster in the NBA at just under $191 million.

Toronto’s core includes Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. They’ll also finally get to see Brandon Ingram suit up and they managed to sign Jakob Poeltl to a contract extension.

There’s plenty of question marks when it comes to the East this season, so there’s room for growth from this group. However, growth doesn’t necessarily equate to championship calibre. I have faith the team is headed in the right direction, they’re just not all the way there yet.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. We wouldn’t talk about the Dinos without a little positivity. After finishing just outside of the play-in tournament last year, I love getting Toronto at +110 to make the playoffs this season.

Last 10 NBA champions and trends

• The NBA is riding a streak of seven straight unique champions for the first time ever.
• Four of the last seven NBA Finals have been decided in six games.
• Golden State’s win over Cleveland in 2018 is the only NBA Finals sweep in the last decade.
• The No. 1 seed has won the NBA championship in 14 of the last 21 seasons.
• The Western Conference is 13-9 in the NBA Finals over the last 22 years.
• The lowest seed to win the NBA championship in the last 30 years is the sixth-seed Houston Rockets in 1995.