Basketball
NBA Outright Predictions & Betting Tips (2025/26)
William Hill has a wide range of basketball betting outright markets for sports bettors to get stuck into.
We have already covered NBA MVP predictions and Rookie of the Year tips, so it’s time to look into the other options available, including division winner, Coach of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year.
NBA Championship Favourites
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Cleveland Cavaliers are in a league of their own as title favourites.
They are trailed by the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets.
OKC is the deserving favourite. A young core has been kept together, and they are coming off the best net rating in NBA history. Denver has put its best roster around a three-time MVP. Cleveland was a regular-season juggernaut in 2024-25.
Of the chasing pack, the Knicks have the advantage of being in a weak Eastern Conference. Golden State has started the season well, but injuries to Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, and Fred VanVleet have impact the Wolves, Lakers, and Rockets.
Division Winner Picks
The Knicks, Cavaliers, and Thunder are overwhelming favourites in their respective divisions. New York should be comfortable in the Atlantic Division, though the Sixers at 9/2 are worth consideration with how Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe have started the season.
Mitchell Robinson is already sidelined, and the Knicks aren’t going to run their starting five into the ground like they did in the Tom Thibodeau era.
Is there a world where Joel Embiid gets healthy enough for Philly to win 50+ games? Sure, it could happen, but we need to see more progress from Embiid before backing the Sixers for the division.
Cleveland has the Bucks and Pistons as its two serious rivals. Milwaukee has looked far better than expected through the first week of the season. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was awarded Eastern Conference Player of the Week, has been dominant. The supporting cast has been solid.
Detroit has been good defensively and clunky offensively. While we are optimistic about the Pistons’ top-four credentials, it’s hard to see how they finish above Milwaukee and Cleveland.
Maybe the Thunder can be threatened by the Nuggets in the Northwest, but we wouldn’t bank on it.
With the Lakers suffering early injuries, the Warriors have tumbled to 10/11 to win the Pacific. The deep Clippers look a good bet at 9/4 given Ty Lue’s exceptional record of overachieving in the regular season.
The tightest race is set to be between the Magic and Hawks. There’s little to choose between them at this stage, and neither team has flown out the traps. We’re holding fire for now.
In the Southwest, we’re picking the Spurs to finish above the Rockets. Victor Wembanyama has been the MVP through the first week of the season. His impact alone makes the Spurs a legitimate contender, and the play of Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle has been encouraging.
Coach of the Year Contenders
Mitchell Johnson of the Spurs is the clear early favourite for Coach of the Year. San Antonio leads the league in net rating and has a 4-0 record. The market has reacted quickly to the level Wembanyama has been performing at, but it also looks like an overreaction at this stage.
The first week of the campaign shouldn’t swing how bettors evaluate the Coach of the Year market. Wembanyama’s play improves Johnson’s chances, of course, but he won’t necessarily get credit if Wemby wins MVP and carries the Spurs to 50 wins.
How Mike Brown has revamped the Knicks’ offense certainly deserves early credit, and Nick Nurse has led the Sixers’ bounce-back start with a 4-0 record. The way Edgecombe has played next to Maxey should also be partly put down to Nurse’s coaching and trust in his rookie.
Sixth Man of the Year
First up, De’Andre Hunter is a player to avoid in this market. He’s started in both games he’s been available for the Cavs – there’s a good chance he doesn’t qualify for this award with Cleveland’s wing shortage.
Josh Hart has remained as the Knicks’ sixth man, even with their numerous injuries. Hart doesn’t fit the prototypical play style of a Sixth Man of the Year, but he’s playing in a big market and his contributions on a contending team are widely acknowledge.
Naz Reid, a former winner, is a perennial candidate at 12/1. He’s a worthwhile pick in any season, but his chances rely on the Timberwolves at least meeting regular season expectations.
John Collins and Quentin Grimes look like the best value at 14/1 and 22/1, respectively. Collins has made a strong start coming off the bench as a Clipper, with nine stocks in four games, and opportunities as a rim runner when sharing the floor with Brook Lopez.
Grimes might prove too talented to be a bench player for the Sixers. He’s playing 31.5 minutes per game and has picked up where he left off last season offensively. The downside with betting on Grimes is the risk he becomes a starter – the upside is Philly being a top four team and the former Knicks wing being part of closing lineups despite coming off the bench.
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
