We’re getting closer and closer to the first NBA tip-off of the season. The finishing touches are being put to the team’s rosters, and the favourites have already started to emerge from the pack.
One of the most interesting ways to preview the 2026 NBA season is to look at prediction markets. Prediction markets operate outside the standard realm of gambling; instead, they give fans an opportunity to trade contracts on outcomes, trading with other users. The way these contracts are priced line up with the odds of certain events happening, and it offers an interesting method to predicting sporting outcomes.
With the NBA still over a month away, there’s still plenty of time for this to change, but prediction markets have already separated a few contenders from the rest of the pack. Here’s a guide to some of the favorites for the NBA Championship, as predicted by prediction markets.
The favorites for the 2027 NBA title (according to prediction markets)
San Antonio Spurs (23%)
The San Antonio Spurs were massive favorites heading into the NBA Finals last year after a brutal and hard-fought game 7 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they ended up getting turned over in five games by a New York Knicks team seemingly ordained by God himself.
Despite the defeat, the Spurs remain the favorites for the title, as they surely will be for years going forward. Their young core of Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper will only be getting better year-on-year, and a title seems a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’.
Oklahoma City Thunder (22%)
Sitting just behind the Spurs at 22% is the OKC Thunder, the 2025 Champions and another perennial candidate for the Larry O’Brien trophy. With Shai-Gilgeous Alexander having picked up his second MVP award last year, he’ll be eager to add to his trophy cabinet, and with a mix-up in his supporting cast, they have the freshness and the experience to match any team.
This really is a toss-up between OKC and the Spurs as the favorites, and these odds are still up to traders, so using a Exclusive Kalshi promo code here can allow you to make your order and influence the odds.
Philadelphia 76ers (11%)
The Philadelphia 76ers are here because of Lebron James. After a step in the right direction with their team last year, taking the #7 seed and beating Boston in the first round of the playoffs, they’ve built a superteam in the off-season.
Lebron James and Jaylen Brown have both joined the team, and the Sixers are now one of the hottest tickets in basketball. Will their big names and big swings turn into real title contention? That remains to be seen, but you can bet they’ll be primetime viewing.
New York Knicks (9%)
Sitting at single digits might feel like disrespect for the defending champions, but prediction markets historically account for the dreaded championship hangover. Following their astonishing, fairytale five-game victory over San Antonio in the 2026 Finals, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks enter the new campaign with a massive target on their back.
Traders seem skeptical that New York can repeat their grueling, high-intensity formula across back-to-back deep postseason runs. Still, discounting the reigning champs would be unwise; Brunson’s clutch gene and the squad’s relentless perimeter defense make them an intriguing value play at 9%.