Basketball is back in the air and on television screens, as the offseason is over and the 2026-27 NBA season is officially here. Plenty looks different in both good and bad ways entering a new campaign, which could factor into the title picture.
It's been nearly a decade since the last repeat NBA champion, as the Golden State Warriors' dynasty saw them accomplish the feat in 2017 and 2018. Parity's the name of the game in the modern league — how many teams have the door left open for them to make a run to the promised land?
Below, you'll find our staff's 2026-27 NBA predictions for the NBA Finals matchup and winner, as well as 2026 NBA Finals futures payouts for some of basketball's best teams to win the 2027 NBA Finals. On PrizePicks, you can pick NBA game winners, spreads/over/unders, futures, and more this season!
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2026-27 NBA Finals Prediction & Futures: Thunder, Spurs, 76ers Among Favorites to Win Finals
To open the NBA season, we've already had multiple high-profile matchups across the midweek slate. More are coming soon, which should help set the tone for an exciting season ahead.
Below are the payouts for favorites to win the 2027 NBA Finals on PrizePicks, including teams with both "Yes" and "No" payouts available for PrizePicks NBA futures. Find these payouts in the PrizePicks app now by going to Team Picks > NBA, then scroll to NBA Championship to find the payouts.
Payouts show potential returns on correct Team Picks predictions. A 2x payout returns $200 on a $100 entry. Lower multipliers reflect outcomes users are picking as more likely. Payouts are live as of writing and subject to change.
All 2027 NBA Finals predictions are the opinions of writers who are not investment professionals. Picks are NOT based on PrizePicks payout multipliers and are NOT recommendations to trade on PrizePicks or elsewhere.
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Mike's 2027 NBA Finals Prediction: Thunder def. 76ers
Thunder to win NBA Finals payout via PrizePicks: 3.7x ($100 to win $370)
I’m not picking the Philadelphia 76ers to emerge from the Eastern Conference because I think C Joel Embiid will stay available and thrive. Even if he isn’t healthy for the playoffs, this is a team to reckon with PG Tyrese Maxey, SF Jaylen Brown, PF LeBron James, and SG VJ Edgecombe all in the fold.
Philly also has some solid depth pieces in G Anfernee Simons, PF Dean Wade, and rookie PG Labaron Philon Jr. Depth behind Embiid is needed, so look for the Sixers to perhaps address that at the trade deadline in an effort to pursue a championship.
The Oklahoma City Thunder almost made it to the NBA Finals last year with wing Jalen Williams barely playing. He appeared in only 33 games during the regular season and got hurt again in the playoffs. Even after an offseason of change, this remains one of hoops' deepest teams.
SG Luguentz Dort, G Aaron Wiggins, and wing Isaiah Joe are all gone, but guards Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, and Jared McCain are all ready to step into larger roles. I’ll count on Williams being healthy in the playoffs, propelling the Thunder to make the Finals again.
In this Finals matchup, the Thunder emerge victorious. They're a much better defensive team and have more size, especially if Embiid is hurt. Brown is a good defender, yet it’s tough to find two stoppers on the 76ers to feel good about when it comes to slowing down Williams and PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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Jordan's 2027 NBA Finals Prediction: Thunder def. Knicks
Thunder to win NBA Finals payout via PrizePicks: 3.7x ($100 to win $370)
For the first time in my life (27 years), I’m not sure there’s ever been this much excitement for an Eastern Conference race. As many as seven or eight teams seem to have a path to making a deep playoff run, ranging from old faces in new places to resurgent hopefuls and more.
Here, however, let’s roll with the reigning champion New York Knicks. They didn’t lose a ton aside from C Mitchell Robinson during the offseason, and this might be the final run for this core’s depending on when — and if — contract extension talks for players like SF/SG Josh Hart and C Karl-Anthony Towns unfold.
New York’s roster and depth are both championship-caliber.
On the other side of the conference line, don’t forget about the Oklahoma City Thunder. They very well could’ve taken down the San Antonio Spurs in last season’s Western Conference Finals with full health, and the roster flexibility gained by trading away wing Dort could open up multiple lineup possibilities with a hungry Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way.
Yes, we’re going chalk for the NBA Finals prediction. The upcoming campaign will help determine whether OKC is a budding dynasty or a franchise set to be passed up by the San Antonio Spurs, and New York isn’t going to fade away until it gives up on this iteration.
At the end of the day, give me the better defense and keep the trend of a new champ every year going.
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Chris' 2027 NBA Finals Prediction: Spurs def. 76ers
Spurs to win NBA Finals payout via PrizePicks: 4x ($100 to win $400)
It’s hard not to like the roster the 76ers assembled this offseason, with Brown and James joining the team. A starting five of Maxey, Edgecombe, Embiid, Brown, and James will be tough for many teams to slow down.
While adding two stars is exceptional, landing key reserve pieces like Simons, Wade, and wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should pay dividends on the perimeter for a team that struggled to shoot the 3-pointer a season ago.
Embiid's health is always the biggest x-factor, but he may not log as many minutes due to the team’s star power.
The Spurs reached the NBA Finals last spring, and a return trip to finish the job wouldn’t be out of the question. San Antonio added veteran F Tobias Harris to its roster in the offseason, and he brings a ton of versatility to the table.
C Victor Wembanyama and guards Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper are all back to shoulder the scoring load, and Wembanyama could be even more motivated than ever to take the league by storm. Taking down a healthy OKC squad won’t be easy, but the Spurs have shown they’re up to the challenge.
The 76ers and Spurs would be an extremely entertaining NBA Finals matchup, especially with Embiid and Wembanyama going head-to-head. Philadelphia will have to be much better defensively to defeat San Antonio.
The Spurs pose a significant number of challenges on the perimeter (an area where the 76ers struggled to defend last season), so San Antonio comes out on top in this marquee showdown.
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David's 2027 NBA Finals Prediction: Thunder def. Knicks
Thunder to win NBA Finals payout via PrizePicks: 3.7x ($100 to win $370)
James joining the 76ers supercharges an Eastern Conference race that already has the defending champion New York Knicks, the always-contending Boston Celtics, last year’s # seed Detroit Pistons, and a multitude of others fighting for a seat at the table.
But we're going to pick the team that dominated the NBA postseason last year to reign atop the East again. PG Jalen Brunson emerged as one of the top clutch performers in the league, and the Knicks return a veteran team that can go to F OG Anunoby, C Karl-Anthony Towns, or wing Josh Hart.
The 76ers will make noise and could very well finish with the best record in the East with LeBron joining Brown, Embiid, and Maxey. However, I have doubts that it will all come together without injuries to beat the Knicks in a seven-game series.
As was the case last year, the Western Conference may be a two-team race between the last two West champions, the Spurs and the Thunder.
The 2025 champs have the deepest roster and had the top-ranked defensive unit by a large margin last year. The biggest question is whether C-PF Chet Holmgren can avoid being dominated by Wembanyama like he was last year.
Even if he can't, I like the Thunder's supporting cast to be the difference, not only against the Spurs but against the Knicks as well.
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Supi's 2027 NBA Finals Prediction: Celtics def. Spurs
Celtics to win NBA Finals payout via PrizePicks: 11.11x ($100 to win $1,111)
The Celtics made major roster changes this offseason. The biggest was trading Brown to the 76ers for G/F Paul George. Trading Brown wasn’t surprising; it was that Boston traded with the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last year to get a 36-year-old George.
George is no longer in his prime, but he's a solid perimeter shooter and defender nonetheless.
As long as Boston has F Jayson Tatum, it could be a contender. Last year, he played only 16 regular-season games after returning from a torn Achilles but averaged 21.8 points and 10.0 rebounds.
The Celtics' biggest problem last year was a lack of size in the frontcourt. Their biggest acquisition aside from George was former Knicks C Mitchell Robinson. He'll change their identity in the paint as a big presence on the boards.
What makes the Celtics one of the top teams is their ability to beat you on both ends. Last season, they ranked second in offensive rating (120.0) and fourth in defensive rating (111.7). That two-way ability lets them compete with any team.
The Spurs didn’t need many changes to a team that made the NBA Finals. They did land another veteran presence in F Tobias Harris, who will provide depth to an already stacked roster.
Wembanyama established himself as a superstar last season. He was in the MVP conversation throughout last year, won Defensive Player of the Year, and earned an All-NBA First Team selection.
Wemby is the focal point of the offense, but the Spurs have one of the league’s more talented backcourts with Fox, Castle, Harper, and wing Devin Vassell. San Antonio isn't afraid to field three guards in the lineup, and with 7-foot-4 Wemby, it ranked third in PPG last season (119.8).
The team finished third in defensive rating (110.4) and eighth in scoring on that end. Like the Celtics, the Spurs are a strong two-way team that can win any game with offense or defense.
Boston's perimeter shooting will be the deciding factor in its path. The Celtics ranked third in 3-pointers made per game (15.5), while the Spurs ranked 15th in 3-pointers made allowed per game (13.0) in the regular season and were 11th of 16 clubs in the playoffs (12.0).
The Celtics could feel better about their perimeter shooting with Robinson adding an interior presence. Robinson averaged 5.6 RPG in the NBA Finals vs. the Spurs in just 13.4 MPG, including 10 boards in 20 minutes in the deciding Game 5.
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The basketball world seems to anticipate another Thunder-Spurs Western Conference Finals that could determine the eventual NBA champion, but the Knicks won last year for a reason. Elsewhere, loaded starting lineups like that of the 76ers could make them a feisty contender for 2026-27.
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Keep it right here with the Playbook for daily NBA predictions, picks, news, and analysis through the 2027 NBA Finals.
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