2026 NBA Championship Odds & Picks: Bet On Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets To Win Title?
After a disappointing first-round playoff exit, the Houston Rockets are swinging for the fences this NBA offseason. Their betting odds reflect that.
The Rockets’ blockbuster transaction was trading for 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant right before the NBA draft, but they’ve also made smart rotation moves to tip off free agency, signing veterans Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela.
Should bettors buy into Houston’s NBA title stock? Discover the Rockets’ odds to win the 2026 NBA championship, along with a breakdown of why they’re well-positioned to claim the throne.
2026 NBA Championship Odds: Rockets Among Betting Favorites
Houston currently has odds to reach the NBA Finals and odds to win the title next season. By converting those figures to implied probability, it has a 15.4% and 10% chance of doing so, respectively. Only the Thunder has shorter odds in the Western Conference.
Bet On Rockets’ NBA Title Odds
Versatility is the name of the game in order to survive four rounds against unique styles, and nobody possesses more frontcourt versatility than Houston.
It can trot out anything from a double-big lineup featuring Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams to a zero-center unit with any frontcourt combination of Durant, Finney-Smith, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason. The Rockets could even play all four next to Amen Thompson and create a terrifying switch-everything lineup of lengthy wings.
The Rockets also have flexibility on an individual level. Finney-Smith and Smith Jr. primarily operate as spot-up shooters, while Eason makes his presence felt as an interior bruiser. As for their centers, Capela is a traditional rim-running center, and Adams offers quick-decision playmaking and elite screening.
Essentially, they have the luxury of analyzing the situation and then mixing and matching a slew of quality rotation pieces around Durant and Sengun.
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How Houston Stacks Up In Western Conference
Ime Udoka’s team can go toe-to-toe with Dallas, Minnesota, and Denver’s size, or it can run the court with Los Angeles and Golden State’s small-ball lineups. Oklahoma City’s ability to shift between the two styles of play is no longer an advantage over Houston, either.
Factor in Thompson’s All-Defensive caliber disruption on the perimeter and Fred VanVleet’s gritty resistance, and the Rockets should field one of the top defenses across the league again. Last season, they tallied the 10th-best defensive rating in the regular season.
Is their offense good enough to win a title? That’s the key question for this group. They have an alpha scorer, as Durant is always good for roughly 27 points per game on incredible efficiency. Sengun is primed to become the second option, with Thompson and VanVleet taking turns as the third scorer on a nightly basis.
Houston is a little light on ball-handling and perimeter shooting, but Reed Sheppard may alleviate most of these concerns. The 2024 No. 3 overall pick shot the lights out in college and flashed the ability to run half-court actions.
If Sheppard doesn’t appear playoff-ready, the Rockets still have the February trade deadline to address these needs.
Overall, they can adjust to match up against anybody, while few teams are able to do the same against them. That’s a critical edge in the playoffs. Considering where every team in the NBA stands and the addition of Durant, taking Houston to win the West and the NBA Finals at current odds is a worthwhile decision.
Good luck with your bets on Houston Rockets odds!
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