2025/26 NBA Season Early Picks & Predictions

The 2024/25 season just wrapped up. The Oklahoma City Thunder took home their first title, and after a win against the Indiana Pacers they justified the hype they received last year even before the season started.

Sam Presti is without a doubt one of the top GMs in the league, and the team he assembled is built to dominate even with the new CBA and a league that’s eying the NFL levels of parity. That’s why we’re going to start with OKC as early favourites this year too. 

Oklahoma City Thunder 

The Thunder are the best team in the NBA. Not just that they’ve won the title, but the team is built in a way that will help them keep the core of their team for seasons to come. Also, the team is playing a unique kind of team basketball and has the reigning MVP on their roster.

SGA proved that he is a team leader and in addition to MVP title he also took home the Finals MVP. JDub, Holmgren, Hartenstein, Caruso, Dort, and Jaylin Williams are all set to remain in Oklahoma next season. Big things are expected from the Serbian, Nikola Topic next year, and their first pick of this year’s draft Thomas Sorber will also make an impact. Furthermore, when you know that Presti is having a war chest of future draft picks it is easy to understand that OKC could be having the makings of a dynasty.

This is a good enough reason to go to Bety casino, where you will find some of the best NBA odds, and place a bet on Thunder to repeat next year. OKC has failed to win it all during the Westbrook, Harden, and Durant era, but now they are poised to dominate and we can see them going all the way next season, a notion you need to cash in on at the online casinos and sportsbooks we recommended earlier. 

Los Angeles Lakers

Unlike OKC, who are real contenders, Lakers often receive plenty of unexpected hype. This offseason is different. The pieces of dominoes are slowly but safely falling into place. This is one of the last years in the league for LeBron James and we are sure that he will do everything in his power to go all the way in the 2025/26 NBA season.

Luka Doncic has fallen to their lap, and the backcourt duo of King James and Doncic is one of the best in the league. What’s even better is that there are rumours claiming that Deandre Ayton is heading down to California.

The Lakers are missing a big, and if they can get their hands on someone like Ayton, they instantly become one of the top 3 teams in the NBA. All they need is a yearlong season of healthy Luka who has proven to be able to carry a franchise to the finals. 

Denver Nuggets

With Nuggets, the contention will always be on the books as long as they have Nikola Jokic. Yes, SGA has won the MVP title, but everyone and their mother know that the Big Honey is the best basketball player in the world. He is the leader of a solid Nuggets team which lost last year in the playoffs in 7 games to the reigning champions OKC.

Not too many players can do what Jokic does on game to game basis and the walking triple double can take this Nuggets team all the way next year. Yes, the Denver franchise would be wise to do some offseason dealings in the market, and get help for Jokic. The first domino has already fallen as they’ve traded Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson.

A fine move that is a clear sign that you should take a short break from playing Bety games, and we know they have one of the best catalogues of slots in the world of online casinos, and move to their sportsbook section and place a bet on the Nuggets. Right now the odds have them as underdogs, and this is the best moment to bet on them to win the 2025/26 NBA title. 

Cleveland Cavaliers 

The Cavaliers had an amazing regular season last year, and they will be looking to build on that. With the East appearing to be weaker than ever, the Cavaliers need to reach the Finals. Celtics will start the year without Jason Tatum, while Pacers will play without Tyrese Haliburton, limiting these team’s ambitions.

The core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen should be enough to go all the way in the Eastern Conference this coming season. The Cavaliers have already acquired De’Andre Hunter, and drafted Tyrese Proctor, improving their overall roster quality.

While they still have a few moves to make in the offseason, we see them as a team to contend in the East, with a chance to go all the way they should not miss out on after two consecutive years losing in the East semis. 

Houston Rockets

The Rockets are the team to have an eye on next season. The Houston franchise has done fine last season, and proved to have the makings of a real contender.

They haven’t been sitting idle during this summer, and have probably made the biggest offseason move in the entire league by acquiring Kevin Durant. The acquisition of the Slim Reaper makes them instant contenders.

All they need now is the continuation of the growth their young roster proved last season, and a healthy year from the seasoned veteran in Durant. KD can elevate any roster and with the likes of Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Alperen Sengun they can go a long way. The team also wasn’t clam during the free agency and Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith joined as free agents. 

The 2025/26 season is shaping up to be one of the most interesting ones in the last few years, with plenty of teams looking to compete. Will OKC start a dynasty, are we looking for another first time champion, or will one of the regular culprits get back on the throne? We’ll just have to bet, wait and see.