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The best NBA championship bet this season may be the 76ers at +900 after adding Jaylen Brown and LeBron James alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

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The NBA season is almost here. If you haven't watched the preseason, I really can't blame you. However, I will say that the NBA preseason is better than most other major sports leagues because the starters and teams actually play a reasonable amount of time in the games, even if they don't mean anything.

Once the games start to make sense, we will have great betting opportunities. Yesterday I looked at individual awards for a season. Let's see who will win the NBA championship this season.

The New York Knicks took home the crown last season and beat this team. However, I don't expect them to win back-to-back championships. Not since the Golden State Warriors had Kevin Durant on their team have we won two consecutive years. He has played for three different teams since then. So, why not the Knicks? Championship is hard. I'm not taking anything away from New York, but things seemed to take off last year. They beat the Hawks, then the 76ers, and finally the Cavaliers before beating San Antonio in five games. They're still the cream of the crop, but they've played a lot of basketball, and it's going to catch up to you eventually

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Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates after winning the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 13, 2026. (Jesse D. Garabrandt/NBAE)

The easy pick in the East is the 76ers. They have running back Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid under center, and they won a playoff series last year. Then they went out and added Jaylen Brown and a guy named LeBron James.

Apparently defying Father Time, James remains an elite player. Embiid's health will always be a question mark. The team no longer has a big back, but you can have James at center, Brown at power forward, Edgecomb at small forward and Anfernie Simmons at shooting guard. Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are also solid bench pieces. They're clearly the top two teams in the East, but that doesn't mean they'll finish 1-2 in the regular season. Some teams care more about it.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives against Atlanta Hawks forward Onika Okungwu (17) during the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 30, 2025. (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)

I'm taking the 76ers to win at +900 because I really don't think anyone else from the east outside of the Knicks has a real shot and I don't see them winning two in a row.

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The Western Conference is also a bit of a two-horse race. The Spurs made it to the finals last season and lost to the Knicks. Victor Wimbanyama seemingly disappeared in that series and they couldn't close out the games. Not sure if that will change this season. Spurs are deep, but unless Wembey makes another leap forward (which is more likely), they will no longer represent the West. The Thunder are still the deepest team in the league. They are both 270+ to win the title and I simply don't see any value in betting on either.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Bal Arena in Denver, Colorado on December 25, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Images)

West is better for getting a long shot. My first pick here is the Nuggets at +2500. They still have the best player in the league. Jamal Murray is one of the Heat's best scorers in the league, and now their bench, which has sucked for years, has gotten a little deeper. They have DeMar DeRozan who is one of the best scorers in the league. They also have Marvin Bagley III, and it looks like this team, if healthy, could be very tough for any team.

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I also think the Rockets are worth a flight at +5000. The team hasn't really added anyone important to the team via trade or free agency, but the reason I like them is that they will have a true point guard this year. Fred VanVleet is 32 years old and coming off a torn ACL, but if he can play at a reasonable level, he could make a difference for the Rockets. I like the depth of the bench, but I admit that everything has to go right for the Rockets to win.

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) drives past Toronto Raptors guard Jacoby Walter (14) and guard Jamal Sheed (23) during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. (John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images)

One thing about the Lakers: I know some people think they're a good pick for the West, but I don't see it. I love Luca and he already took the Mavericks to a final. However, I don't see this team having a title defense even with Walker Kessler.

Overall, I'd take the 76ers at +900, Denver at +2500, and a small bet on the Rockets at +5000. The Thunder vs. Knicks exact match option at +1300 is a favorite and kind of fun, but I still don't like it.

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