At this moment last summer, Las Vegas oddsmakers rated the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Dallas Mavericks as the teams with the top chances to emerge as the champions in the 2025 NBA Finals.

Things have certainly transformed since then.

Notably, Oklahoma City succeeded in securing the championship, becoming the youngest team to do so in 48 years, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishing as the league’s top scorer and earning both the MVP and Finals MVP honors.

The landscape outside of Oklahoma City was chaotic. The Houston Rockets, now featuring Kevin Durant, are viewed as serious contenders to dethrone the Thunder. The pre-trade odds for Houston to clinch the championship were around 18-1, but after the trade, it is now difficult to find odds above double digits—word travels quickly.

Westgate SuperBook’s 2026 NBA Title Odds

• Thunder +225
• Cavaliers +800
• Knicks +900
• Rockets +900
• Lakers +1400
• Magic +1400
• Timberwolves +1400
• Nuggets +1600
• Spurs +2000
• Celtics +2500

“We had the Rockets at 12-1 [before acquiring Durant],” stated Jeff Sherman, Westgate’s VP of risk. “Moved from 12 to 10 initially and settled at 9. We received one bet at [10-1]. I was initially skeptical of Houston and San Antonio due to their youth and assets.”

In contrast, the Celtics appear to be holding back for the next season, possibly postponing their opportunities until Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are back on the court together. Tatum, having suffered an Achilles injury during the postseason, may not return within a year, making it unreasonable to expect him back on the court quickly.

This week, Boston was active in the trade market, moving Jrue Holiday to Portland and Kristaps Porziņģis to Atlanta, which dismantled a significant portion of the core team that brought the franchise its 18th championship last summer.

“The Celtics anticipated reaching this juncture, regardless of winning or losing,” said Sherman. “They needed to reduce costs to stay below the second apron. They deserve credit for their aspirations to repeat, but things would invariably be altered next season.”

Authorities are marking the Celtics at 18-1 immediately following the Holiday trade, significantly increasing to 25-1 post-Porziņģis trade.

Translation: The outlook for Boston capturing the title appears bleak.

The Eastern Conference is wide open for competition, with speculations surfacing regarding other teams potentially taking advantage of the situation.

“Considering the injury to [Tyrese] Haliburton and the fluidity of the East, the Sixers are significantly undervalued,” Sherman remarked. “If [Joel] Embiid performs to expectations, the potential rewards could outweigh the risks.”

The Sixers are available at 13-1 odds to make it to the NBA Finals, and the Detroit Pistons are showing odds of 16-1, which some analysts consider having value as a wager. Combining bets on those teams to win the East could be a sound strategy.

After all, fortune tends to favor the bold.