The Oklahoma City Thunder, fresh off their 2024-25 NBA championship, have opened the new campaign 26-3 and forced oddsmakers to slash nearly every traditional future tied to the club. With money-line prices now hovering near even money to claim another title, bettors looking for returns greater than pocket change are turning to less conventional markets.
Historic start drives short odds
Oklahoma City’s average scoring margin of +16.1 points is the largest through 27 games in league history. Only the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks (+14.1), the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls (+13.9) and the 2007-08 Boston Celtics (+13.9) come close. All but the ’71 Bucks went on to win the championship, a historical note that helps explain today’s pricing:
- NBA title: Thunder +110; Denver Nuggets +600; Houston Rockets +1000
- Western Conference: Thunder ‑140; Nuggets +450; Rockets +800
- Northwest Division: Thunder ‑3000; Nuggets +1500; Minnesota Timberwolves +30000
Bet No. 1: 74 or more regular-season wins
DraftKings lists Oklahoma City at +650 to finish 74-8 or better, eclipsing Golden State’s 73-9 record from 2015-16. The Thunder enter most nights as double-digit favorites, boast the league’s top defensive Basketball Power Index (8.6) and rank fourth offensively (4.1). Their combined BPI of 12.7 more than doubles that of the third-place New York Knicks (5.9) and the fourth-place Nuggets (5.5). The roster is young, deep and already owns a title, and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has publicly voiced interest in chasing the wins record—all factors that keep the club engaged through the 82-game slate.
Bet No. 2: Exact Finals matchup
Players convinced Oklahoma City will repeat can bypass the skinny +110 championship line by pairing the Thunder with an Eastern Conference opponent in DraftKings’ “Finals Exact Result” market. Examples include:
- Thunder over Knicks: +700 (Knicks are +275 to win the East)
- Thunder over Pistons: +950 (Pistons are +400 to win the East)
- Thunder over Cavaliers: +1100 (Cavaliers are +550 to win the East)
Because each ticket requires the correct Eastern foe, risk rises—but so do payouts. Splitting a 20-unit stake across two or three potential matchups can still yield a better return than a single wager on Oklahoma City’s outright title odds.
For bettors unwilling to fade the league’s hottest team, the 74-win prop and the exact-result market remain the two clearest paths to meaningful value while the Thunder continue their historic roll.
Source: ESPN
