The 2026-27 NBA season will be a story of change, and it started in last year’s NBA Finals when the New York Knicks won the title for the first time in 53 years. This campaign will have familiar faces in new places, including (nearly) ageless superstar LeBron James, who will be playing on the opposite coast after leaving the Lakers to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Place your wagers on 2026-27 NBA championship futures at DraftKings and get $200 in bonus bets when you spend $5+:
Fans who are interested in NBA betting and futures betting can get bonus bets at the best sports betting apps. The season starts Tuesday, and fans can also get picks for every game from the SportsLine Projection Model. The model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and our experts also offer insights on games from every sport each day.
Former Celtics star Jaylen Brown will be joining James in Philly, while two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is in Miami. Ja Morant (Portland), Kawhi Leonard (Toronto) and LaMelo Ball (Minnesota) are among the other notable names with new teams. There’s also a strong incoming rookie class, headed by AJ Dybantsa (Washington), Darryn Peterson (Utah), Cameron Boozer (Memphis) and Caleb Wilson (Chicago).
Despite the Knicks hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy as NBA champs, the road to the title could go through a tough Western Conference. The Oklahoma City Thunder, 2025 champions, and 2026 runners-up San Antonio Spurs are the favorites to win the NBA title at DraftKings Sportsbook, with both teams priced at +270. The Knicks and Sixers are next, with both Eastern Conference teams listed at +900.
NBA Finals futures odds (via DraftKings)
The Knicks are the eighth consecutive different NBA champion, and they will have to fend off a real challenge from the 76ers in the East. The West is top-heavy with the Thunder and Spurs, who battled all season as youthful San Antonio emerged as a potential future champion behind superstar big man Victor Wembanyama. The Thunder still have two-time reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way.
The Thunder led the NBA with 64 victories last season, followed by the Spurs with 62. The teams battled for seven games in the Western Conference Finals, with San Antonio taking a 111-103 victory in the clincher before going down in five to the Knicks. The Pistons (60-22) were the only team in the East to get to 60 wins. The Celtics, Knicks and Cavaliers all won more than 50 games in the East, while the Rockets, Lakers and Nuggets did so in the West. Denver finished the season on a 12-game win streak behind three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic.
The Knicks plowed through the Eastern Conference side of the 2026 NBA Playoffs bracket, beating the Hawks in six games before sweeping aside both the 76ers and Cavs to reach the NBA Finals. Three of their four victories against the Spurs were by four points or fewer, with Jalen Brunson scoring 45 of the team’s 94 points in the clincher and earning Final MVP honors. He led the team at 26 points per game last season, with center Karl Anthony-Towns averaging 20.1 and 11.9 rebounds.
The Sixers took a big jump in the NBA championship futures after they signed James, going from +2000 at most books to +1000 before getting to the current +900 odds. The 41-year-old all-time NBA leading scorer averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds with the Lakers last season. He has won at least one title at all four stops in his career. James will be part of a formidable lineup that includes Tyrese Maxey, 2023 league MVP Joel Embiid and Brown, who was acquired in a surprising trade with Boston. Philadelphia’s NBA title future odds were at +6000 before Brown’s acquisition, then dropped to +2000 following the trade.
New York is the +360 favorite at DraftKings to win the East, followed by Philly (+425), the Celtics (+500) and the Cavaliers (+900). Detroit had the best record in the conference in 2025-26 but is +1000 along with the Raptors. Cade Cunningham played like an MVP early last season but wore down as teams loaded up to stop him, and Detroit did little to give him help this offseason. The Pistons lost Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart and Caris LeVert. Bet on NBA futures and more at BetMGM with promo code CBSSPORTS and get up to $1,500 in bonus bets:
The Thunder struggled a bit down the stretch as Gilgeous-Alexander’s efficiency tailed off and Jalen Williams was nagged by injuries in the postseason. OKC added big man Aday Mara from Michigan and Iowa point guard Bennett Stirtz in the draft. Gilgeous-Alexander was second in the NBA in scoring at 31.1 points per game, with Williams and center Chet Holmgren chipping in 17.1 apiece for the Thunder. They are slight +140 favorites to win the Western Conference, with the Spurs +150 and the next choice. The Minnesota Timberwolves were way back at +1400, and the Rockets and Nuggets are at +1500. The Thunder were without Williams and Mitchell for large portions of the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs, and it’s possible a healthy Oklahoma City team takes care of business in Game 7 against San Antonio.
Wembanyama helped the Spurs get to the brink of a title ahead of schedule, with Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle emerging as potential cornerstones in the backcourt. The Spurs went 28-4 over their final 32 regular season games. Wembanyama finished his third NBA campaign averaging 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks. Veteran guard DeAaron Fox put up 18.6 points and 6.2 assists, while Castle averaged 16.7 points and 7.4 assists. San Antonio’s backcourt rotation, specifically Harper’s usage, will be something to watch for the regular season. The second-year player showed major growth as a rookie in the playoffs while Fox had some big lapses. It’s possible the Spurs make a change there if things aren’t clicking as expected. Sign up to wager on NBA championship futures now at Caesars Sportsbook with promo code CBSSPORTSBR250 for $250 in bonus bets via bet resets:
