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NBA Power Rankings Based on Finals Odds: Timberwolves Undervalued? Who Has Edge in East?
The 2025-26 NBA season is nearing its halfway point, and it's finally time to start thinking about who can really win the title.
It's fun to give out preseason picks and project which teams will contend in each conference, but now we have over 30 games of data to really start weeding out the pretenders and the contenders.
So, for the rest of the season, I'll be power ranking each NBA team each week based on their odds to win the Finals, and whether or not I believe there is value in the current price.
As of Tuesday, Jan. 13, the Oklahoma City Thunder are overwhelming favorites to win the title at +115, but there is a group behind them that features Houston, Minnesota, New York, San Antonio, Detroit and Denver that is extremely intriguing.
Here's how each team stacks up in the NBA Finals market with the trade deadline about a month away.
NBA Power Rankings Based on Finals Odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (+115)
The defending champs have cooled off after a 24-1 start, but they still have the best net rating in the NBA and are the overwhelming favorites to win the title.
2. Denver Nuggets (+700)
Even with Nikola Jokic (knee) out of the lineup at the moment, Denver is staying afloat in the West, sitting in the No. 3 spot.
Once the three-time league MVP returns, the Nuggets are going to be a dangerous team to deal with, as they haven't really been healthy all season.
3. Detroit Pistons (+2000)
Detroit in the No. 3 spot? Well, the Pistons have the No. 2 defense in the NBA and the No. 1 record in the East, giving them a pretty intriguing path to an NBA Finals berth.
The Pistons may be a little undervalued at +2000, especially since they blew out the New York Knicks in their first meeting this season.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (+2500)
Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves have jumped up into the No. 4 spot in the West, and they've made back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances. I think this time is wildly undervalued at +2500 when a team like Houston is sitting at +1300.
5. San Antonio Spurs (+1200)
It may be a year too early for the Spurs and their impressive young core, but they are 3-0 against the Thunder this season and Victor Wembanyama is a true two-way superstar.
If the Spurs' young guards continue to thrive, they could hold on to a top three spot in the West by the end of the regular season.
6. New York Knicks (+1200)
The NBA Cup champions, the Knicks have one of the best five-man lineups in the NBA. However, Karl-Anthony Towns' inconsistency and the team's defense are major questions if you're betting on the Knicks to win or reach the Finals.
7. Boston Celtics (+2500)
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has inserted himself into the MVP conversation, and there's a chance Boston could make a serious postseason run if Jayson Tatum (Achilles) returns.
8. Philadelphia 76ers (+5000)
Health will always be a question for Philly, but at +5000 this team has a ton of upside in a weak Eastern Conference.
Tyrese Maxey is playing at an All-NBA level and if Joel Embiid and Paul George can stay on the floor, there is an argument for the 76ers to win the East.
9. Houston Rockets (+1300)
Houston has fallen into the No. 7 spot in the West, and it appears to be a touch below the top contenders in the conference. It's possible the Rockets look to add some more offense around Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun at the trade deadline.
10. Cleveland Cavaliers (+3000)
It's been a disappointing season for the Cavs, but they are still 10th in net rating and eighth in offensive rating.
If Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley are healthy, this team is still one of the more talented squads in the East.
11. Orlando Magic (+4500)
Another disappointing team in the East, Orlando is just the No. 6 seed and has dealt with injuries to its top players all season long.
There is some upside here once Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs return, and the Magic are getting a slight boost at this price since the East is wide open.
12. Los Angeles Lakers (+2800)
The Lakers defense has fallen off a cliff as of late, making them an extremely tough team to trust to get through the gauntlet that is the Western Conference.
The best argument for L.A. is that Luka Doncic can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league in a playoff series.
13. Phoenix Suns (+35000)
I don't think Phoenix can win the title this season, but at +35000, it's hard to deny the value in a top-six team in the West.
The Suns have a true defensive identity (fifth in defensive rating), and they look better than a lot of the other fringe playoff contenders behind them on this list.
14. Golden State Warriors (+3500)
Do the Warriors have a higher upside than some teams because they have Steph Curry? Of course.
But for the No. 8 seed in the West, Golden State is wildly mispriced at +3500, especially since it's just 8-11 against teams .500 or better than this season.
15. Toronto Raptors (+15000)
The No. 4 seed in the East, Toronto appears to have a pretty solid floor, which keeps it a little higher in these rankings despite th +15000 price.
16. Miami Heat (+10000)
Miami holds the No. 8 seed in the East, but it is just one game over .500 and has slipped to 22nd in the league in offensive rating this season.
The Heat are far from a title contender, but they should be in the mix for a playoff spot in the East.
17. Los Angeles Clippers (+9000)
The Clippers are surging as of late, winning 10 of their last 12 games, and they're now within striking distance of a play-in spot in the West.
With Kawhi Leonard playing at an All-NBA level, L.A. would be a tough first-round opponent at this rate.
18. Atlanta Hawks (+10000)
The Trae Young era is over in Atlanta, and the team has been much better without him this season.
Still, the Hawks are in the play-in conversation and under .500 overall through 41 games. It's hard to see them leaping into contention to win the East this season.
19. Milwaukee Bucks (+15000)
It feels wrong to have a team with Giannis Antetokounmpo this low, but the Bucks' supporting cast is awful.
A deadline deal could change that, but as it stands Milwaukee is -10.5 points per 100 possessions this season when the two-time MVP is off the floor.
20. Portland Trail Blazers (+100000)
Portland appears to be in a great spot to make the play-in tournament in the West, but the lack of top-line talent makes it hard to bet on this team to do anything more than that this season.
21. Chicago Bulls (+100000)
The Bulls have cooled off since starting fast, and they're likely nothing more than a back-end play-in team in the East.
22. Memphis Grizzlies (+200000)
Ja Morant may be on his way out in Memphis, and the Grizzlies are a putrid 3-19 against teams that are .500 or better this season.
They are in the play-in conversation in the West, but they won't make any noise.
23. Charlotte Hornets (+200000)
The Hornets nailed the Kon Knueppel pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, yet they are still on the outside of the play-in tournament in the East.
24. Dallas Mavericks (+70000)
Dallas may enter a full-blown rebuild around Cooper Flagg with Anthony Davis now out multiple months, and the Mavericks are just 5-15 when Davis sits this season.
This price makes no sense for a team that has zero incentive to make the playoffs.
25. Utah Jazz (+200000)
Utah is better than it was last season thanks to strong play from Laiuri Markkanen and Keyonte George, but this team is going to tank to make sure it keeps its top-8 protected pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
26. Brooklyn Nets (+200000)
The Nets tried to Jordi Fernandez-proof this roster to tank, but Brooklyn has a top-10 defense over its last 15 games. I'd expect the Nets to sell at the deadline, including moving on from Michael Porter Jr., who is having a career year.
27. Washington Wizards (+200000)
Washington is still tanking this season, but the addition for Trae Young is interesting going forward since big man Alex Sarr has made a clear step up in his second season.
28. Indiana Pacers (+200000)
The 2025-26 season is a gap year for the Indiana Pacers, who have just nine wins and won't have Tyrese Haliburton back until next season.
29. Sacramento Kings (+200000)
The Kings have knocked off Houston and the Lakers in back-to-back games, but this team still has just 10 wins all season and very few tradable assets ahead of the deadline.
30. New Orleans Pelicans (+200000)
New Orleans has no incentive to tank this season -- it doesn't own its first-round pick -- but it still has the worst record in the West with just nine wins.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.
Follow @peterdewey2