Orlando Magic coach moves in wrong direction in early NBA hot seat odds

From the way too early to do this department, numbers are out on what NBA coach will be the first fired in the 2025-26 season. This is a popular wager in NFL circles, where it took a full six weeks for the Tennessee Titans to pull the trigger in dispatching Brian Callahan.

Callahan is still the only NFL head coach fired in-season, and not even two weeks into the festivities on the hardwood, BetOnline.ag has updated its numbers.

The biggest movers from the initial rankings were Timberwolves’ boss Chris Finch and the Orlando Magic’s Jamahl Mosley, whose odds went from 33-to-1 to 12-to-1 following a 1-4 start.

Mosley picked up his first road win in resounding fashion beating the Charlotte Hornets 123-107 on Thursday and entered the weekend favored to emerge past the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

Despite the strong likelihood the fifth-year Magic coach gets things turned around, Mosley is indeed a solid bet to land this dubious distinction.

After Magic president Jeff Weltman issued a “win now” mandate and then mortgaged the future to pry Desmond Bane away from Memphis, there’s certainly pressure to perform. An ugly four-game skid following a season-opening win over the Miami Heat is the reason why Mosley’s seat would be warmer, but he’s got ample time to get things turned around since Orlando’s defense can only improve as chemistry develops.

The Magic responded after surrendering 271 combined points in losses at Philadelphia and Detroit by holding the Hornets to 107 and forcing 21 turnovers. There’s still much work to get Bane up to speed with Orlando’s defensive concepts and more improvement should come as Jalen Suggs’ minutes increase, but these first coach fired odds should serve as a reminder that there are major expectations for the reigning two-time Southeast Division champs.

Orlando has graduated to where it will ultimately be judged by its playoff success, but a slow start has ramped up pressure. Now that November has arrived, the Magic needs to get its act together and emerge as a top Eastern Conference contender.

Nurse trends in right direction following 76ers' strong start

Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse topped the site’s initial odds sheet released on Oct. 13, and like Kendrick Perkins openly wondering on ESPN’s NBA Today what Paolo Banchero was doing all summer, was proven to be way off on its premature analysis.

The Sixers opened 4-0 before losing a tight game to Atlantic Division rival Boston on Friday in a contest that doubled as an NBA Cup clash, so talk of Nurse being on the hot seat has cooled. Originally the favorite to be fired at 7-to-2, Philadelphia’s coach is now listed at 40-to-1.

New Orleans’ Willie Green (1/1) is now an even-money favorite to be the first head coach relieved of his duties, but given that Joe Dumars just got to the organization, the Detroit native will likely get a longer leash to work with despite the Pelicans’ slow start.

While losing one’s livelihood isn’t funny, this prop is meant to entertain and serve as a talking point. Let’s face it, a head coach will be fired at some point during the regular season because it happens every year. Sacramento let Mike Brown go unexpectedly last December and he’s already back in the league at the helm of the Knicks, so the carousel will undoubtedly spin at some point.

Minnesota’s Finch has reached a Western Conference finals and is now charged with overcoming the absence of All-Star Anthony Edwards for a few weeks, so don’t expect any changes coming with the Timberwolves.

Best bets to wind up as NBA's first head coach fired

Sacramento’s Doug Christie (4/1) and Brooklyn’s Jordi Fernandez (5/1) rank second and third on BetOnline.ag’s list of coaches most likely to be fired first. Christie will likely get much more time after taking over for Brown mid-season, while Fernandez is in the early stages of a complete rebuild and gets the most out of the overmatched Nets.

The two names to watch who make the most sense outside of Mosley are Toronto’s Darko Rajakovic (10/1) and the L.A. Clippers’ Tyronn Lue (14/1).

Rajakovic was hired by Masai Ujiri, who ended his lengthy affiliation with the Raptors in June. Replacement Bobby Webster has been on staff for years but may choose to make his own hire if Toronto struggles to make the most of having a healthy Brandon Ingram in the lineup.

Lue is considered one of the NBA’s top coaches, but the Clippers are the league’s oldest group and have been embroiled by rumors of a salary cap circumvention scandal all offseason. There have also been rumors that Lue attended the poker games that landed Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups an indefinite suspension after being investigated by federal authorities.

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