"The Oklahoma City Thunder have followed up their championship 2024-25 season with one of the best starts in NBA history, going 26-3 before Tuesday's loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Despite it, the Thunder are such huge favorites to win all three championships (division, conference and NBA) that it doesn't make much sense to bet them to win any of them straight up. However, with a little creativity and the variety of offerings available, there are ways to bet on Thunder futures that return enough juice to have value."
"The Thunder's +16.1 points per game average scoring margin in 2025-26 is by far the highest point differential at this point in a season in NBA history. The second-best scoring differential through 27 games was +14.1 PPG, set by the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks more than 50 years ago. Third on the list was a tie between the Michael Jordan-led 1996-97 Bulls and the Kevin Garnett-led 2007-08 Celtics at +13.9 points. While the 1971-72 Bucks were unable to defend their 1971 championship and lost to the Wilt Chamberlain/Jerry West Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals, each of the other teams on this list won the NBA title that season. This puts the current Thunder team in extremely exclusive historic territory."
The Oklahoma City Thunder began the 2025-26 season 26-3, including a loss to the San Antonio Spurs, following their 2024-25 championship. The team's +16.1 points per game scoring margin through 27 games is the highest in NBA history at that point in a season. Historical comparators include the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks (+14.1) and the 1996-97 Bulls and 2007-08 Celtics (both +13.9). Two of those comparator teams won titles that season while one did not repeat. Bookmakers list the Thunder as heavy favorites, reducing straight-up betting value, though alternative futures markets may offer opportunities.
Read at ESPN.com
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