NBA Predictions & Betting tips

The 2025/26 NBA season is set to tip off and SportyTrader's got you covered! Find our free prediction on which team will be crowned NBA champions along with additional betting information and advice. Our basketball betting experts are here to offer you full coverage of the entire 2025/26 season. Plenty of information for your sports betting!

NBA 2025/26 Presentation and Predictions

Basketball has seen a rapid rise in popularity over recent years and is now officially considered to be one of the top three biggest sports in the world. Fans are attracted to the fast-paced, high-octane nature of the sport which can produce some truly awe-inspiring moments. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is unquestionably the pinnacle of the game, with the world’s most elite talent all congregated across 30 franchises.

From October to June, many punters bet on the 30 teams and their 82 games each that make up the best basketball league in the world, as well as trying to predict the champion after the playoffs. These 30 teams in search of the famous Larry O’Brien trophy are divided into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Make sure you follow our expert basketball betting tips at Sportytrader this season.

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NBA Prediction: Who will win the 2025/26 NBA Championship?

Last year, OKC players won the NBA championship for the first time since 1979. It was a well-deserved title after what seemed like an eternity of waiting for the fans. At that time, the franchise was still known as the Seattle SuperSonics!

The new 2025-2026 NBA season promises to be another thrilling one, with the Thunder defending their title. The best franchises will once again battle it out for the crown, and we can expect another season full of twists and turns.

The reigning NBA champions are obviously hoping to achieve back-to-back titles, but teams such as the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks are determined to do everything they can to achieve this goal and take home the prize.

Coveted by all franchises and obviously the ultimate goal of our basketball prediction experts' NBA analyses, the famous 2026 Larry O'Brien Trophy is the centre of attention. At the start of the season, it's hard not to give the defending champions the edge, given how they dominated last season.

At the moment, we recommend betting on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's OKC. Our 2025-26 NBA winner prediction: OKC champion!

NBA winner prediction - team odds for the 2026 championship title

• Oklahoma City Thunder - 3.40
• Denver Nuggets - 8.00
• Cleveland Cavaliers - 8.50
• New York Knicks - 10.00
• Houston Rockets - 13.00
• Los Angeles Lakers - 15.00
• Minnesota Timberwolves - 17.00
• Los Angeles Clippers - 21.00
• Orlando Magic - 21.00
• Golden State Warriors - 26.00
• Dallas Mavericks - 34.00
• Atlanta Hawks - 36.00
• Philadelphie 76ers - 28.00
• Milwaukee Bucks - 35.00
• San Antonio Spurs - 50.00
• Boston Celtics - 50.00
• Detroit Pistons - 65.00
• Indiana Pacers - 100.00
• Memphis Grizzlies - 175.00
• Toronto Raptors - 200.00
• Miami Heat - 200.00
• New Orleans Pelicans - 200.00
• Phoenix Suns - 300.00
• Chicago Bulls - 400.00
• Sacramento Kings - 400.00
• Portland Trail Blazers - 700.00
• Brooklyn Nets - 700.00
• Washington Wizards - 1000.00
• Utah Jazz - 1000.00
• Charlotte Hornets - 1000.00

Odds taken from Bet365

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NBA top 6 predictions: who will qualify for the playoffs?

Betting on the NBA isn't just about betting on the future champion and the NBA title. As you know, in the NBA, before you know who the future champion will be, there are a few very important steps to go through. First of all, qualifying for the playoffs is mandatory at the end of the regular season, otherwise the holidays begin in April.

To obtain this coveted postseason ticket, NBA teams must be in the top 6 of both conferences, otherwise they will have to go through the play-in, a mini-tournament which we will explain in detail in the paragraph below.

And we can already say that the battle for these coveted spots will be fierce... Indeed, we are in for quite a fight this season to advance to the next stage of the competition, with franchises overflowing with talent.

Our top 6 prediction for the Western Conference: OKC, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Clippers, and Lakers qualify for the playoffs!

Our top 6 prediction for the Eastern Conference: Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, and Detroit Pistons qualify for the playoffs!

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NBA Top 10 prediction: Who will qualify for the Play-In Tournament?

It's time for the real battle between the teams in the middle of the table. Introduced by Adam Silver in 2021, the Play-In Tournament is a superb initiative that gives other teams a chance to reach the playoffs. It's quite simple to understand: the franchises that finish between 7th and 10th place compete in a tournament to determine the last two qualifiers for the playoffs, by conference of course.

Here's how it works: the 7th seed faces the 8th seed, with a ticket to the playoffs at stake, while the loser must play the winner of the match between the 9th and 10th seeds. Needless to say, the duels are exciting, as no one wants to stop just one step away from this important goal. Once again, the battle to finish above 10th place will be fierce, and the outcome is obviously not easy to predict.

Our play-in predictions for the Western Conference: the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, and Memphis Grizzlies will qualify for the play-in!

Our play-in predictions for the Eastern Conference: the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Indiana Pacers will qualify for the play-in!

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League Best Player Prediction: Which player will win the various regular season awards?

In addition to competing for the title at the end of the season, players are also vying for several awards that recognize their performance during the regular season.

Between MVP (Most Valuable Player), ROY (Rookie of the Year), DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year), COY (Coach of the Year), and MIP (Most Improved Player), there are many awards to be won after an NBA season.

Before the start of the 2025-2026 season, here is our list of players to watch in each category:

-MVP:

• Nikola Jokic 
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Giannis Antetokounmpo 
• Luka Doncic 
• Anthony Edwards

-DPOY:

• Victor Wembanyama
• Chet Holmgren
• Evan Mobley
• Dyson Daniels
• Jaren Jackson Jr.

-ROY:

• Cooper Flagg
• Tre Johnson
• Ace Bailey
• Dylan Harper
• V.J. Edgecombe

-MIP:

• Deni Avdija
• Andrew Nembhard
• Matas Buzelis
• Bennedict Mathurin
• Amen Thompson

-COY:

• Jamahl Mosley
• Ime Udoka
• David Adelman
• JB Bickerstaff
• Mitch Johnson

Last season's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, will he achieve back-to-back wins or focus on achieving OKC's goal: winning the title again after the franchise's second championship in 2025?

One thing is certain: it will be a long and hard-fought battle for a trophy that counts individually in the American landscape.

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Beginner’s Guide to How the NBA Works

The NBA is relatively straightforward when it comes to betting and its markets are easy to understand when choosing a game. As in other sports, you can select the winner of a game and, if you are feeling especially bold, predict that the game will go to overtime (ie. betting on a tie). It’s important to keep in mind that there will always be a winner in the NBA, games cannot end in draws.

Similarly, it is possible to make predictions on how many points will be scored during a game, either individual team totals or the combined score between the two sides. In the NBA, it is quite common to see final scores end with 200 or more combined points as the league leans more and more into the three-point shot. This is certainly a viable opportunity to be aware of when making your picks. Care should be taken with the terms used for each event on the betting sites.

Likewise, the NBA also has the handicap, which is commonly referred to as the point spread. This serves to give an advantage or disadvantage to the teams in play based on the bookmakers’ perceived ranking of the competitors. For example, the Golden State Warriors may have odds on the moneyline of 1.50 to get the win against the Orlando Magic. However, as the favorites, they’ll be laying -4.5 points on the spread. In these cases, it is necessary to study the current situation of the two teams.

Bookmakers also offer betting markets for the number of points scored in each quarter or which team could lead after a given time (1Q, 2Q, halftime, etc.). It is also possible to bet on individual player props such as the top scorers of the duel, over/under on assist, rebounds, blocks, steals and more. These can be especially effective if bet on live.

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How do the NBA Playoffs work in 2025/26?

The NBA regular season is 82 games which involves all 30 teams (15 in the Eastern Conference and 15 in the Western Conference) battling for the 16 available playoff spots, awarded to the the top eight teams in each conference. Teams then compete in a best-of-seven playoff series with four total rounds to determine the eventual champion. 

Here's how seeding works at the end of the regular season:

• Teams that finish between first and sixth-place automatically qualify for the NBA Playoffs.
• Teams seeded seventh through 10th qualify for the play-in tournament
• Team's who finished 10th and worse are eliminated

Regarding the actual NBA Playoffs, here's the structure for each round:

• First round: First seed plays eighth seed, second seed plays seventh seed, etc.
• Winners of the first round advance to the Conference semifinals
• Conference Finals (four teams remaining in total)
• NBA Finals

All series are best-of-seven, meaning the first team to win four games wins the series. The NBA Playoffs are often eagerly awaited by fans as the intensity levels ramp up and each game is filled with drama. Want to get in on the action? Be sure to follow one of the links on this page to access a number of the world's best online sports betting sites!

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How to make good predictions on NBA games?

The NBA regular season in a marathon. With so many games, it’s important to follow some betting guidelines which should help to increase your chances of a successful bet. Our experts at SportyTrader have gathered five key pieces of advice to keep in mind when making your NBA predictions:

• Situational spots and team news
• Take into account the form a team’s star
• Analyze detailed statistics 
• Take stock of a team’s mental state
• Compare odds across bookmakers

Below we’ll take a look at each in more detail:

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Situational spots and team news

The first thing to do when making a reliable NBA prediction is to look at the previous results of the two teams that will be featured in your basketball prediction. A team like the Nuggets is facing the Hornets but has been waiting for a win for five games, while Charlotte has been undefeated for a month. Despite Denver being the logical favourite, a reliable prediction could be to bet on a win with a margin of -8 points for Steve Clifford's team. A team in good form will always be the best choice for your NBA predictions!

Let's emphasise this point one last time. It is important to look not only at the latest match scores, but also at the performances. The average points scored by players in good form, the number of three-point shots made, turnovers, etc. will always be important. Remember that a team can suffer an unexplained defeat in a match in which it was unlucky.

Take into account the form of a team’s star

It is worth considering the individual level of the stars of each team competing in the NBA, since a good performance could be enough to clinch a win. This is a league undoubtedly controlled by the star players. With only five players on the court at a time for each team, a truly elite player is naturally going to have more opportunity to shine.

Take a moment to imagine that the Atlanta Hawks' best player, Trae Young, has not scored more than 15 points in his last four games, or that Clint Capela has not managed to reach the 10-rebound mark in six consecutive games: their poor form would then need to be taken into account when predicting the outcome of the game in question.

The same goes for absences! Whether due to injury, rest, suspension or load management, it is quite possible that key players will be missing and that their absence will have an impact on the final result of a game.

It should never be forgotten that a team is dependent on its best players in terms of performance and that if they perform poorly, the results are generally not what they should be. This is even more true in basketball, and particularly in the NBA, than in other sports. A concrete example is Jayson Tatum's injury last year... The result: elimination in the Eastern Conference semi-finals by the Knicks!

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Analyze detailed statistics

It is also key that a bettor study the previous statistics of an NBA team before making a prediction involving them. There are plenty of advanced statistics to dig into, which can help provide a more clear picture of just how a team is performing. Knowing the different statistics will allow you to better predict the many matches, but also to be more accurate with your alternative bets in what is always a busy season (number of points at half-time, who wins the first quarter, etc.).

Has your team scored ‘more than 217.5 points in a match’ 10 times in 15 games since the start of the year? You can try your luck on the upcoming game. When reading statistics, this is one of the examples that is very often taken into account. Don't hesitate to take advantage of a bookmaker bonus to try out several interesting bets.

To round off the many tips we've given you, it's worth noting that our team of writers systematically uses everything mentioned above to make the best possible NBA predictions, and that other algorithms may even come into play.

Simply consulting our predictions gives you a reliable overview of as many NBA matches as possible. So get into the habit of reading our predictions before every basketball night in the United States.

Take stock of a team’s mental state

Another value that holds a lot of weight during the NBA season is the mental state of the players. Bad streaks are difficult to bear for any team and if things are not solved, the pressure starts to generate mistakes among the players.

The crisis can then begin to manifest itself on the court in the form of cold shooting streaks and disjointed team chemistry to name a few. Likewise, situations that arise off the court in a player's personal life, or lack of personal care, also lead to a decrease in overall performance. For example, Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies) was out of action for a long time due to showing a firearm on his social media channels at a party. A team missing its star player and the face of the franchise is naturally going to have a significant effect on a team.

Compare odds across bookmakers

Last but certainly not least, you will want to make it a priority to compare the odds at different bookmakers. We can’t stress enough just how important this is; this one factor can often make the difference between some sports bettors ending up profitable or in the red! You should make it a habit to constantly look for the best available odds for the bet you are looking to make. Consistently locking in the best possible price will provide an instant improvement to your ROI!

The best method to achieve this in the most efficient way is to sign-up with as many betting sites as you can. Having accounts across a multitude of different sportsbooks ensures you will have the access to the largest pool of available betting lines and thus ultimately find the best odds. That’s not the only benefit as you will also be able to take advantage of bookmaker’s welcome bonuses, many of which can see you receive a 100% matched first time deposit bonus! To see the best welcome bonuses on the internet, visit our best betting sites page.

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What not to do for your NBA Predictions

To give yourself the best chance at improving your bottom line when it comes to betting on the National Basketball Association, there are a few pitfalls you will want to avoid. Here are some examples of what you should be cautious of:

• Not assessing the situational spot of the teams
• Disregarding the mental state and performance of a team’s star player
• Not accounting for a team’s home vs away performances
• Chasing your losses (ex. Betting triple your normal amount to ‘make up for’ two previous losses)
• Not practicing proper bankroll management (you should have a fixed bet amount within your overall betting funds)
• Not comparing bookmakers to find the best possible odds on the market for your bet
• Betting strictly on a team’s name and reputation and not accounting for recent performance and form
• Only looking at final scores of previous games and not digging deeper into the underlying statistics
• Disregarding the betting odds and not understanding the implied probability behind them
• Blindly betting on your favorite team

More than a few beginner and experienced bettors have fallen victim to one or multiple of the above habits. If you can eliminate them from your betting process and approach each game with clear, rational analysis, you’ll greatly increase your chances of turning a profit!

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NBA Prediction: Statistics you need to know

Statistics are a reflection of what happens on the court and in the NBA they carry significant weight when it comes to making predictions. Here is the record for the entire previous 2024-25 season:

• Home wins: 54.5%
• Away wins: 45.5%
• Average points: 227.3 points per game
• Three-point shots made during the season: 35.97% per franchise
• Free throw success rate during the season: 77.95% per franchise
• Average assists: 26.29 per game
• Number of steals: 8.18 per game
• Number of rebounds per game: 44.02 rebounds
• Number of offensive rebounds per game: 11.11 offensive rebounds
• Number of defensive rebounds per game: 32.91 defensive rebounds

For sports betting on NBA games, you may find that certain types of bets are preferable when making your predictions, such as betting on the home team to win or betting on the ‘Over/Under’. Indeed, the American basketball league is obviously one of the most spectacular in the world, and bets such as ‘Over 220.5’ are often successful.

Of course, this is not the case for all teams, so you will need to study each case individually. If the odds are favourable, this could allow you to earn a few pounds on your account. Although there are no guarantees, of course!

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In short: How to make the right NBA predictions?

If you want to make good predictions on your betting slip for the 2025-2026 NBA season, you need to analyse several factors, starting with: analysing the matches, taking into account the best practices mentioned on this page, understanding how the championship works and the most important statistics.

However, there may not be enough time to study every detail of an NBA match. The best advice we can give you is to follow the NBA predictions available on our website, written by our specialists on the American basketball league and available every week at the top of this page. Free to access, free of charge and 100% manual/verified (no automatic or automated analysis), they will help you bet wisely on this crazy NBA season!

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Our current NBA predictions

NBA: Best Odds

9 Nov 2025, 19:30 Philadelphia 76ers - Detroit Pistons

1 2.55

2 1.56

9 Nov 2025, 20:30 Golden State Warriors - Indiana Pacers

1 1.11

2 7.5

9 Nov 2025, 21:00 Sacramento Kings - Minnesota Timberwolves

1 2.75

2 1.48

To be 100% focused on the American basketball championship, our NBA odds comparator is available now (100% free), as well as our NBA Livescores tool!