2026 NBA Futures: Which State Will the NBA Champion Come From? Odds & Breakdown - July 6
All odds provided by Betway.
State of 2026 NBA Champion Early Odds
The Field (-180): Nearly two thirds of the teams in the league make up “The Field” grouping in this betting market, which is why it is the favorite over the four multi-team states. However, at just -180 on betting sites, it feels like they should be even bigger favorites here.
Not only do we have 63 percent of the teams here, but we have three of last year’s four Conference finalists, including the defending champion OKC Thunder, who are favorites to win again in 2026. We’ve also got other top teams like the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Nuggets. The price here is pretty good considering the raw numbers, but there are a couple of teams not included in The Field that we really like, so don’t do anything rash.
Teams Included: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards
Texas (+550): The great state of Texas has three teams in the NBA, which is fewer than California’s four, but all three Texan teams have a real shot in 2026. The Mavericks are looking very interesting after drafting Cooper Flagg to pair with Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson.
The San Antonio Spurs are a popular dark horse with Victor Wembanyama getting surrounded with elite guard talent. But the reason we actually like a wager on Texas in this betting market is the Houston Rockets. They’ve got a great young core with Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith Jr. and they’ve paired that with the perfect veteran trio in Steven Adams, Fred VanVleet, and Kevin Durant. Texas is our best bet for this betting market.
Teams Included: Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs
California (+600): The state with the most teams is not the one with the shortest odds. And honestly, that makes sense. Both L.A. teams are aging and building middle of the road rosters in the West. The Sacramento Kings are back in the doldrums after a short-lived era of success. And Golden State is building one of the oldest rosters in the league. Steer clear here unless Kawhi Leonard gets a new, unbreakable knee.
Teams Included: Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings
New York (+900): The Empire State technically has two teams, but with the Nets deep in rebuild mode, this one is really all about the Knicks. They came close last year, losing in the East Finals, and with a change at head coach from Tom Thibodeau to Mike Brown, they could even improve. They will need to make one more acquisition before we consider betting on them though.
Teams Included: New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets
Florida (+1,600): The two teams in the Sunshine State are not exactly favorites going into next season. The Miami Heat seem to be retooling around Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, so they won’t be challenging next season. The Orlando Magic could take a massive step forward in the wide open East and possibly even make a deep playoff run, but we’d be shocked if they won the conference, much less the Finals.
Teams Included: Miami Heat, Orlando Magic/Betway
