NBA Odds: Philadelphia 76ers’ title chances soar after signing LeBron James
There hasn’t been a back-to-back NBA champion in nearly a decade and oddsmakers expect that trend to continue. The New York Knicks’ recent title run capped off a stretch of parity in the NBA that has seen eight different championship teams over the last eight years.
The San Antonio Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama, and the revamped Philadelphia 76ers each have a strong chance to become the ninth new champion this decade.
Here’s a look our tiers for the top 2026-27 title contenders.
Don’t forget to check out Sports Interaction’s complete list of NBA futures.
Favourites
The Sixers have been the biggest movers up the oddsboard after an off-season makeover that saw them swing a blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown before landing LeBron James in free agency. At +800, Philadelphia has the best championship odds of any Eastern Conference team, followed by the defending champion Knicks at +900.
Overall, the East is expected to be the more competitive conference with the likes of Philadelphia, New York and Boston all sporting legit championship pedigree.
The Western Conference, on the other hand, is much more top heavy. It all runs through OKC and San Antonio, who are listed as +260 co-favourites to win the NBA championship. Led by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder remain as strong as their 2025 championship team, while the Spurs should only continue to grow with Wembanyama, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
Tier II
The Celtics won’t be as strong without Brown, but they will remain contenders with Jayson Tatum is in his prime. At +1300, Boston essentially sits alone on the oddsboard with a clear gap between the top contenders and the next tier of teams.
Murky middle
Following Boston, there is a group of six teams with championship odds ranging from +2500 to +3000: Denver (+2500), Minnesota (+2500), Miami (+2800), Cleveland (+3000), Detroit (+3000) and Toronto (+3000).
Toronto is the biggest riser on that list with the expectation that the Kawhi Leonard trade will officially go through.
Miami is the other interesting team in this tier. The addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo gives the Heat a brighter future, although they still have some holes in the lineup, so they may be another year away from truly contending.
Playoff hopefuls
Even without LeBron, the Lakers should still contend for the playoffs with Luka Doncic at the helm. Oddsmakers are also expecting a bounce-back year from 2025 NBA finalist Indiana, who are banking on a healthy Tyrese Haliburton returning to the lineup.
Other teams that should contend for the playoffs include Houston, Atlanta, Golden State, Orlando and Portland.
Play-in hopefuls
Our fifth tier starts with a Washington team that should improve with Trae Young, Anthony Davis and Khris Middleton leading the way. The Wizards will also have 2026 first overall draft pick AJ Dybantsa.
You can also lump Phoenix, Charlotte, Dallas and Utah in this group of play-in hopefuls.
Long shots
Our final tier of NBA teams are the long shots that are more likely to compete for the draft lottery than a playoff spot. We’re talking about the Clippers, Pelicans, Bulls, Grizzlies, Bucks, Nets and Kings.
This is a group that can surprise you. Charlotte was at the bottom of most pre-season lists last year before winning 44 games and Detroit did the same thing the year prior. Value bettors would be wise to dig deeper into this tier.