NBA Betting News This Week | Best 2027 NBA Finals Odds To Pounce On | June 16, 2026

By Dan Favale, Updated on: Jun 16, 2026 12:00 AM

Breaking down the top 5 odds to win the 2027 NBA Finals

With this year's NBA Finals already in the books, all of the best NBA betting sites are already focusing on 2027 futures. While the 2027 NBA Finals betting odds you see below will certainly shift between now and next June, they provide a nice snapshot of the league's hierarchy a few months ahead of next season.

1. San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder (+250)

Believe it or not, we have a tie for the odds to win the 2027 NBA Finals. And given the teams that Bovada sportsbook lists as co-favorites, we are actually alright with it.

Let's start with the San Antonio Spurs. They were just in the NBA Finals and have one of the youngest cores in the league. Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper haven't even entered their primes yet. So while it's disappointing they fell in five games to the Knicks, you can also make the case that this is the worst they will ever be. That is, quite frankly, terrifying for the rest of the league.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder need no introduction. They won the title in 2025 and were the odds-on favorites to do it again. If not for injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, there's a chance they could have been the NBA's first repeat champion since the 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors. Indeed, they are likely to cut some money from their payroll this summer. But so long as J-Dub, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren remain on the roster, they have the makings of a runaway favorite.

3. Boston Celtics (+650)

Many will expect the New York Knicks to occupy this mantle. And they certainly have a case. But the Celtics just flirted with 60 victories despite not having Jayson Tatum for a majority of the year. It stands to reason they didn't scratch the surface of their ceiling in the Eastern Conference.

With that said, you will want to keep your eyes peeled on them through the offseason. Boston continues to be mentioned as a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade suitor. If they end up acquiring the two-time MVP, it will cost them Jaylen Brown. 

Brian Windhorst on Giannis to Miami and Boston rumors:

“I think the Bucks are trying to draw out everyone’s best offer…. Giannis has expressed an interest in extending his contract in Miami which is why MIA has been so interested in doing it. But Boston is also out there… pic.twitter.com/rfHgmhfDEy

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) June 15, 2026

While that seems like a reasonable cost in a vacuum, it would render the Celtics more vulnerable to injuries. And even if Giannis stays healthy next year, Boston needs to familiarize itself with how to integrate him. That entails not only hashing out chemistry between him and Tatum, but also acquiring a stretch big to facilitate Giannis' preferred method of offense.

4. New York Knicks (+750)

The Knicks are well positioned to be right back here again next year. Indeed, the Celtics and Indiana Pacers should both be stronger. One of the East's up-and-coming squads, such as the first-place Detroit Pistons or Charlotte could make a leap. That matters.

Still, six of the Knicks' top-seven players are under contract through at least next season. And none of them are older than the age of 31. If there is any threat to their ability to repeat, it might actually be exhaustion. They have now played in the Eastern Conference Finals or later in each of the past two seasons.

5. Denver Nuggets (+2500)

The Denver Nuggets rounding at the top five is surprising for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the 25-to-1 odds represents a huge slide from the fourth-place Knicks. This suggests the public believes there is a big-time chasm separating New York, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Boston from the field. That is debatable and worth tracking.

Beyond that, we are not sure the Nuggets deserve to be here. Yes, Nikola Jokic remains one of the three greatest players alive. But the Nuggets are wildly expensive and don't boast enough athleticism to keep pace with any of the four teams we've already run through. On top of that, Denver doesn't have a ton of assets to burn on the trade market.

In fact, if we had to guess, they are more likely to try dumping salary than make actual roster upgrades. To that end, we would steer clear of their title odds altogether. How's that for definitive advice?

Best dark horse to win the NBA Finals in 2027: Charlotte Hornets (+8000)

Before we go any further, please bear in mind we are talking about a true dark horse. Teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers (+3500), Indiana Pacers (+3500), Minnesota Timberwolves, et al. do not fit the bill.

The Charlotte Hornets do.

Laugh if you must. We get it. But the Hornets had a top-five offense and defense from Thanksgiving through the end of this past season. Much like the Spurs, they also may only get better. LaMelo Ball doesn't turn 25 until August, while Brandon Miller (Year 3) and Kon Knueppel (rookie) haven't even played four seasons. 

🎙️ @BillSimmons: "Charlotte Hornets with 14 and 18 in the draft could get frisky somewhere. I always thought that made sense as the Domantas Sabonis team..."

🎙️ @ZachLowe_NBA: "They're a center away from being really interesting..." pic.twitter.com/Qv94yUHxnr

— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) June 14, 2026

With plenty of trade assets and cap flexibility, the Hornets are a team that could make serious moves this summer, the kind of splashy transactions that position them to upend the championship-contender picture.

Breaking down the way-too-early odds to win 2027 NBA MVP

The odds to win the 2027 NBA MVP are up, courtesy of the folks over at BetOnline sportsbook. Here is the full list of candidates:

Here is the full list of candidates:

1. Victor Wembanyama (+200)
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+330)
3. Nikola Jokic (+500)
4. Luka Doncic (+650)
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo (+1600)
6. Jayson Tatum (+2200)
7. Anthony Edwards (+2200)
8. Cade Cunningham (+2700)
9. Jalen Brunson (+3500)
10. Jaylen Brown (+6500)

Here is our usual reminder coupled with free betting strategy advice when it comes to this market: NBA MVPs almost always come from a top-three seed in their conference. If you don't think your preferred candidate will be on a top-three seed, then it's safest to choose another option.

Victor Wembanyama (+2000) emerging as the odds-on favorite is no surprise. You should expect him to remain near the pole position for the foreseeable future.

From a value perspective, we love Jalen Brunson (+3500) and Cade Cunningham (+2700). Forced to choose, we would lean Cunningham, because he has less help on offense, and voters love spotlighting guys with heavier workloads.

@BillSimmons makes the case for Jalen Brunson as a top-50 all-time NBA player pic.twitter.com/Eai4DsKX19

— The Ringer (@ringer) June 15, 2026

At the same time, Brunson is a kitchen-sink option for the Knicks even after winning the championship, and we know the roster won't look much different next season. We cannot say the same for the Detroit Pistons. They may go out and swing for the fences with an offensive upgrade.

If you are looking for a dark horse MVP option, give the odds for LaMelo Ball (+15000). It would not shock us if the Hornets finish third or better in the East. And in the event they do, he will be among the primary reasons why.

Previous NBA Betting news updates

• [June 9-16]: Jalen Brunson wins Finals MVP as the Knicks upset the Spurs to become 2026 NBA champions.
• [June 1-8]: The Spurs enter the NBA Finals as favorites to beat the Knicks.
• [May 27-31]: The Spurs beat the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals and emerge as new title favorites.
• [May 20-27] :Giannis Antetokounmpo is most likely to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks, according to Bovada.
• [May 13-20]: Bovada oddsmakers have the Cleveland Cavaliers as the most likely landing spot for LeBron James in free agency this summer.
• [April 23-30]: The Oklahoma City Thunder increased their lead over the San Antonio Spurs as favorites to win the 2026 NBA Finals.
• [April 15-22, 2026]: The Boston Celtics entered the playoffs as the odds-on favorites to win the Eastern Conference despite being considered a preseason long shot.
• [April 8–15, 2026]: Los Angeles Lakers odds drop sharply after injuries to Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique), creating uncertainty around their playoff availability.
• [April 1–7, 2026]: Cade Cunningham returns from injury for the Detroit Pistons, with the team still holding top seeding but sitting fourth in Eastern Conference title odds.

Meet the author

Dan Favale

Dan first began writing about sports back in 2011. At the time, his expertise lied in the NBA and NFL. More than one decade, that remains the case. But he's also expanded his catalog to include extensive knowledge and analysis on the NHL, MLB, tennis, NASCAR, college ba...