There’s plenty of buzz around the Oklahoma City Thunder, and for good reason. They rolled through the regular season with 68 wins, captured the championship, and saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sweep nearly every major honor last season.
Now, the Thunder have every reason to believe in another championship push. They’re healthy, the core is intact, and the continued growth of Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams only makes them more dangerous.
Of course, the Western Conference has been anything but quiet. The Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers all took steps to improve their rosters. Still, Oklahoma City sets the pace, entering the 2025-26 season as the favorite to win the NBA title.
Per ESPN:
The Thunder, who tip off their title defense Tuesday against the Houston Rockets, are commanding favorites to win another championship, listed at 2-1 at ESPN BET. Those are the shortest title odds entering a season since the powerhouse Golden State Warriors in 2017-18.
“They’re head and shoulders above [everyone], and they’ll be favored in just about every game, unless there’s something unforeseen,” Jeff Sherman, a veteran NBA oddsmaker for the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, said of the Thunder.
