NBA betting: The best and worst bets for the 2026-27 season - ESPN

The 2026-27 NBA season tips off Tuesday and it brings a fresh slate of betting opportunities for basketball fans. From individual awards such as MVP and Rookie of the Year to predicting the eventual NBA champion, there are plenty of futures bets to consider early in the season.

So which bets offer the most value?

We asked our NBA betting experts André Snellings, Eric Moody, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick and Steve Alexander to share their favorite futures bets for the 2026-27 season. From award contenders to teams they believe could make a championship run, here are the wagers they believe you should make — and others you should avoid — heading into the season.

Odds by DraftKings and subject to change.

Snellings: The Timberwolves have won 49 regular season games in each of the last two seasons since their big trade of Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle, but their team has always been imbalanced. While they had Anthony Edwards as a their primary offense producer, they have lacked a true team-offense creator at point guard. This offseason, they traded some of their big man depth and brought in a strong floor general in LaMelo Ball. Ball and Edwards are already showing strong chemistry, enough that if healthy I expect the Timberwolves to be significantly improved. This team's high-water mark was 56 wins, three seasons ago, but I think the current squad has an even higher ceiling and has a strong chance of surpassing 51.5 wins.

Moody: Boozer averaged 22.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 4.1 APG at Duke, earning AP National Player of the Year honors. He might be the most NBA-ready player in this rookie class and couldn't have landed in a much better situation. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are gone, and Memphis should give Boozer plenty