The NBA futures market of 2025-26 is heating up with training camps around the corner.
Bookies have pegged defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder as heavy favourites to repeat, with prices bunched between +225 and +275 across the sportsbooks.
The next group behind OKC are a tight one that comprises the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets.
Cleveland and New York are the East headliners after vigorous roster constructions, and the continuity of Denver and the star power of Houston keep them in the inner circle.
The East is abnormally top-heavy in the conference markets: the Cavs and Knicks open as co- or near-co-favourites, followed by the Magic into the next tier.
That opening price is deep and defensive- two attributes that travel in a long season. When you are buying plus-money in the East, keep an eye on teams such as Atlanta and Philadelphia; small October deals can shrink those middle-of-the-road prices soon enough.
Offseason plot points are relevant to pricing. Summer blockbuster (headlined by the addition of an elite scoring punch) has the Rockets squarely in the top five of title probabilities.
Denver is back at its core in the West, and Minnesota continues to be a pain to match up with. Cleveland has a two-way balance and New York has a bruising style that supports their short prices in the East.
As active teams (such as Miami) continue to rotate, bettors would also be wise to monitor changes to the guard and wing mix, such as recent trade acquisitions, as possible catalysts to win-total and division markets.
For up-to-date results and insights that can help track these shifts in real time, resources like sportytrader.com are valuable tools for bettors.
Awards Markets to Look At
MVP
Books will be opened with names that are known, the first of which are Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In betting angles, match MVP tickets with team win outlooks; the MVPs have historically come out of 50+ win teams.
Follow OKC, Denver, Cleveland and New York track openings to correlate value.
Defensive Player of the Year
Victor Wembanyama is a considerable favourite, followed by Chet Holmgren and Evan Mobley. When you like longer numbers, track team defensive rating in November; voters are now rewarding great team defences with switchable bigs more and more.
Rookie of the Year
Dallas forward Cooper Flagg is the early odds-on favourite following a headline-grabbing pre-draft season. ROY is a swing role/usage player, monitors preseason rotations and on-ball reps before investing at short prices.
The Bottom Line
The 2025-26 NBA season is destined to be one of the most competitive in recent history, with established forces such as Oklahoma City and Denver attempting to stave off upstart challengers in each conference.
The balance of star power and roster depth is already being reflected in futures markets, and award races provide yet another layer of interest to bettors interested in more than just championship odds.
You can be betting on a preseason odds-on favourite or trying to find value in the award markets, but the make-or-break will be timing, following the news and correlation between the performance of any team and individual recognition.
The futures board this season is both risky and rewarding to the fans and bettors alike, and has many ways to get ahead of the game without even tip-off.
