NBA Championship Odds 2026: Thunder, Pistons Seize Control

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The Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder both shortened their NBA championship odds with victories Thursday night. They both moved to 2-0 in their respective second-round series, taking care of business on home court.

The New York Knicks (+800 NBA championship odds) look to become the first team to move to 3-0 when they play the Philadelphia 76ers on the road tonight. The San Antonio Spurs are favored against the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road, with that series tied 1-1.

Here are the latest NBA odds to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

🏆 Latest 2026 NBA Championship odds

Team

R2 opponent

Thunder

-180

Lakers
(Up 2-0)

Spurs

+375

Timberwolves
(Tied 1-1)

Knicks

+800

76ers
(Up 2-0)

Pistons

+1400

Cavaliers
(Up 2-0)

Cavaliers

+5000

Pistons
(Down 2-0)

Timberwolves

+4000

Spurs
(Tied 1-1)

Lakers

+8000

Thunder
(Down 2-0)

76ers

+12500

Knicks
(Down 2-0)

Odds updated as of 5-8, courtesy of bet365, one of our best betting sites. Sign up with our bet365 promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.

Latest NBA championship odds movement

The New York Knicks can move to 3-0 with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers tonight, and that will surely shorten their NBA championship odds. Though they'll likelt to remain well behind the Western Conference powers of the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.

The Detroit Pistons moved to +1400 after taking a 2-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they're not yet getting much respect from the sportsbooks in what's considered a three-team race.

📈 2026 NBA Finals odds over time

Here's a visual representation of how the NBA championship odds have evolved since the offseason.

🔮 NBA Championship prediction

Bet

Odds

Bet Date

Units

Thunder

+240

Oct. 21

1.0

Thunder

+165

Dec. 1

1.0

Spurs

+1000

Feb. 24

0.5

Spurs

+550

Mar. 30

0.5

Pistons

+2000

Apr. 18

0.5

Oklahoma City has the cleanest runway to be the best team in 2026: an MVP-caliber engine in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entering the heart of his prime, a two-way star wing in Jalen Williams, and a 7-footer in Chet Holmgren whose blend of rim protection, spacing, and feel supercharges modern schemes. That trio already drives elite half-court efficiency and a top-tier defense, and it’s backed by organizational continuity that reliably turns role players into playoff-useful pieces. Holmgren’s strength and timing appear to be fully NBA-hardened, unlocking more switching and fewer help-and-recover compromises, while SGA’s mid-range and foul-drawing remain matchup-proof in May and June.

Depth and optionality push the Thunder over the top. They can win big or small, play five-out without sacrificing rim protection, and toggle between pressure defense and conservative coverages depending on opponent. Crucially, they still have surplus picks and cap flexibility to plug the inevitable holes that show up in a long postseason, whether that’s a second unit scorer, another stretch big, or a specialist wing.

So, why did I decide to sprinkle half a unit on the Spurs in late February? Health. San Antonio was clicking at just the right time while Oklahoma City dealt with injuries to SGA, Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell. That was a lot of star power riding the pine.

I added another half unit at the end of March as the Spurs moved to within 2.5 games of the Thunder on the strength of a dominant 13-1 stretch. Consider San Antonio my insurance policy.

With the postseason set to start, let's sprinkle half a unit on someone in the East — and why not the No. 1 seed at 20/1! Cade Cunningham is only getting healthier after returning from a collapsed lung suffered a month ago, and Detroit will avoid the likes of the Celtics and Knicks until a potential conference final matchup. This could shape up to be a great hedge opportunity for a) if the Pistons are favored in the ECF and b) we could have both sides of a potential NBA Finals… at plus money.

💰 Sportsbook betting splits and insights

Highest ticket percentage
• Nuggets 12.0%
• Pistons 10.8%
• Spurs 10.8%

Highest handle percentage
• Spurs 17.5%
• Thunder 16.2%
• Nuggets 11.4%

Biggest liability
• Lakers
• Timberwolves

Data courtesy of BetMGM.

2026 NBA Championship opening odds

Thunder +230
Knicks +900
Pacers +900
Timberwolves +1000
Cavaliers +1100
Rockets +1200
Lakers +1600
Spurs +1600
Nuggets +1700
Celtics +2000
Warriors +2300
Magic +2500
Mavericks +4000
Clippers +4000
76ers +4500
Heat +5000
Pistons +7000
Bucks +7500
Grizzlies +10000
Raptors +15000
Suns +17000
Kings +20000
Pelicans +20000
Nets +25000
Hawks +30000
Bulls +40000
Trail Blazers +40000
Wizards +60000
Hornets +60000
Jazz +60000

No team has overachieved more this season than the Pistons, who entered the 2025-26 campaign with distant +7000 odds.

Detroit shocked pundits by racing out to a 15-2 record thanks to a deep, athletic roster and the emergence of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, both of whom were named All-Stars. Their growing chemistry is the secret sauce that could power Detroit to a deep postseason run.

NBA Championship trends

Since the Warriors' 2018 repeat, the NBA has seen seven different champions in seven years. This is the longest such streak since the late 1970s.
22 of the last 25 champions ranked in the Top 10 in Defensive Rating during the regular season.
23 of the last 25 champions were Top 5 in either Offensive or Defensive efficiency.
Since 2019, nearly every champion has been led by a non-U.S. superstar or a team built on international depth.