The 2025-26 NBA season gets underway on Wednesday, 22 October, and it’s shaping up to be an absolute cracker.
Oklahoma City enter as clear favourites to go back-to-back, with Denver and Cleveland both tipped to mount strong challenges. Beyond the title race, the MVP, Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year markets all offer plenty of intrigue for punters keen to explore extra value.
Below, we’ve highlighted our top NBA futures bets for the new campaign. Follow one of our trusted links to sign up with a new sportsbook, back our selections, and enjoy the ride as another thrilling season of basketball unfolds.
2026 NBA Finals Betting Tips & Predictions
Who Will Be NBA Champions This Season?
Listed at $3.50 with Dabble, the Oklahoma City Thunder open the season as hot favourites to defend their NBA crown. They bring back all of their key finals contributors, making them one of the most settled and well-balanced teams in the league.
Still, the journey from October tip-off to the NBA Finals in June is a long and unpredictable one. Injuries, mid-season trades, and shifting team dynamics can drastically alter the championship race. Backing the Thunder to repeat is a reasonable play, but punters may find better value in a few alternative contenders.
With that in mind, here are our leading predictions and futures tips for who we think will hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy and be crowned the 2025 NBA champions.
Denver Nuggets, $9.00
At odds of $9.00, the Denver Nuggets offer excellent value in this season’s NBA Championship market. After an earlier-than-expected playoff exit last year, Denver have smartly adjusted their roster while keeping their core intact. The trade that brought in Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr. adds more defensive reliability and consistent perimeter shooting, while the arrivals of Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valančiūnas give the bench the balance and experience it previously lacked.
A new voice on the sidelines also brings renewed optimism. David Adelman takes over as head coach after an impressive interim spell, with an emphasis on ball movement, matchup versatility, and a deeper rotation. That shift could help unlock even more from a team that already boasts one of the most efficient offences in basketball.
With Nikola Jokić still playing at an MVP level and Jamal Murray healthy and in form, Denver’s combination of star power, chemistry, and upgraded depth makes them a legitimate title contender. Their proven ability to perform in high-pressure moments, coupled with off-season improvements, means the Nuggets at $9.00 present one of the most appealing futures bets for the 2025–26 campaign.
Denver Nuggets to Win NBA Finals
$9.00
Cleveland Cavaliers, 9.00
At $9.00, the Cleveland Cavaliers offer tremendous value to win the NBA Championship this season. Following an impressive 2024–25 campaign, Cleveland have evolved from a promising young side into a genuine contender. Their formula of elite defence, efficient offence, and strong chemistry remains intact — and that continuity gives them a major edge over more unsettled rivals.
The Cavaliers’ success starts with Donovan Mitchell, whose ability to create offence in tight playoff moments makes him one of the league’s most reliable closers. Alongside him, Darius Garland continues to grow as a playmaker, providing the balance and tempo that keep Cleveland’s attack flowing. In the frontcourt, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen anchor one of the NBA’s best defensive duos, combining rim protection with mobility that allows Cleveland to switch effectively across multiple positions. The off-season addition of extra shooting depth has also helped address last year’s spacing issues.
What sets Cleveland apart is their balance and cohesion. They defend at a championship level, have multiple scoring options, and now possess the playoff experience needed to handle pressure. With their core in peak form and a clear identity on both ends, the Cavaliers at $9.00 look exceptional value to challenge for the Larry O’Brien Trophy this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers to Win NBA Finals
$9.00
2026 NBA MVP Betting Tips & Predictions
Who Will Be NBA MVP This Season?
In theory, the Most Valuable Player award should recognise the player who truly means the most to their team — the one whose impact and influence are unmatched across the league. In practice, though, it doesn’t always play out that way. Too often, the award ends up in the hands of the top performer on the best team, rather than the individual who single-handedly elevates their side.
With that in mind and sticking to the spirit of what “most valuable” really means, here are our predictions for who could take home the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award for the 2025–26 season.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets $4.00
The $4.00 odds on Nikola Jokic to win the MVP are a fantastic value bet, making him the strong pick over close rivals like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Whilst SGA is an elite scorer, the Serbian centre's unique, all-encompassing dominance makes him a perpetually deserving candidate.
Jokic consistently posts near-triple-double averages, often leading the league's top big men in assists. His efficiency remains historically high, frequently challenging the 50−40−90 shooting club for big men. Advanced metrics like VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) continue to place him above his peers, underscoring his unparalleled impact on the Denver Nuggets' offence—the team struggles significantly whenever he rests.
Despite voter fatigue being a slight factor against the three-time winner, Jokic's statistical profile and the clear chasm in the Nuggets' performance with him on or off the floor provide the most compelling 'Most Valuable Player' argument in the NBA. At $4.00, his case for the trophy is simply too strong to ignore.
Nikola Jokic to Win MVP
$4.00
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves $26
Anthony Edwards represents excellent longshot value at $26.00 because his trajectory as a superstar is pointed straight up. The MVP award often goes to a player who makes a significant leap while simultaneously elevating his team to an elite level. Edwards, already a perennial All-Star and playoff performer, is primed to transition from a great scorer to an all-around force, particularly if he improves his playmaking and efficiency—the final pieces of his superstar puzzle.
For him to secure the MVP trophy, the Minnesota Timberwolves would need to grab a top-two seed in the fiercely competitive Western Conference. If Edwards averages around 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists while leading a team featuring Rudy Gobert to a 58+-win season, the narrative of his meteoric rise, combined with potential voter fatigue for repeat winners like Nikola Jokic, makes him a highly appealing candidate who can crash the MVP party.
Anthony Edwards to Win MVP
$26
NBA Futures: Other Awards & Betting Tips
NBA Most Improved Player: Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers $14
Andrew Nembhard at $14 is tremendous value for Most Improved Player, primarily due to the massive opportunity created by Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles injury. Nembhard, a natural point guard, is being thrust into the full-time primary ball-handler role. This guaranteed 82-game expanded usage will dramatically inflate his counting stats—points and assists—making him a prime candidate for the award, which heavily favors a significant statistical jump.
Historical data confirms Nembhard’s ability to step up, as his career stats without Haliburton show a solid bump in production, averaging 13.0 points and 6.8 assists in those contests. Now, with a full season as the Pacers' lead creator, he has the runway to showcase his playmaking and scoring in a high-volume capacity. If Nembhard can push his averages toward the 18−20 point and 7−9 assist range, the narrative of his leap from role player to starting point guard on a competitive team could prove irresistible to voters.
Nembhard to Win Most Improved Player
$14
NBA Sixth Man Of The Year: Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics $31
The significant odds of $31 for Payton Pritchard to repeat as Sixth Man of the Year present one of the most intriguing long-shot wagers of the season. This valuation is largely based on strong indications that the Boston Celtics plan to promote him to a starting role, which would immediately disqualify him from the award. The market has correctly priced in this high probability of ineligibility.
However, should the Celtics' plans change—perhaps to showcase new acquisition Anfernee Simons as a starter, or due to mid-season trades or injuries—Pritchard would revert to his highly effective bench role. As the reigning award winner and a record-setter for three-pointers made by a reserve, he offers a known, elite commodity with a clear path to winning if he remains eligible. The massive potential return at 31-1 makes this a value bet to consider.
Payton Prichard to Win Best Sixth Man
$31
