🏀 NBA Futures Bets to Make Right Now: Will the Cavaliers Win the East Finals?

This is my favorite time to bet NBA futures. Since the conference finals are almost set, I don't have to tie up my money for a ridiculous amount of time - which has always been my biggest beef with futures and games of the year.

My NBA futures bets to make right now look to do one thing: take advantage of a betting market that is overreacting left, right, and center to recency bias. Are the Knicks better than the Cavaliers? Are the Thunder a lock to make the finals? Let's really think about it.

🏀 NBA futures bets to make right now

See all of our experts' NBA picks based on the latest NBA odds for the playoffs.

💰 Best NBA futures bet to make right now

The Thunder are the betting favorite to win the NBA Finals.

Thunder Over 3.5 losses in 2026 playoffs (-110)

I'm not a huge believer in some teams just "owning" others. For example, people believe the Knicks own the Raptors because they've beaten them 13 straight times, when in reality, some of those wins are just noise.

However, Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama is a different story. The league has never seen a player his size with his handle and shooting ability, so certain teams struggling against him should definitely be a part of our handicap. The Thunder lost four of five meetings with San Antonio this season; they could potentially cash this bet before the NBA Finals even start.

🔥 More NBA futures bets to make right now

Follow all of our NBA analysis and expert predictions this season.

Cavaliers to win Eastern Conference (+300)

The Cavaliers entered the playoffs with the second-shortest odds to win the East. So, what has changed? The Celtics were eliminated early (which, as a Lakers fan, I fully enjoyed), so you'd think Cleveland would be the new favorite in the East, right?

Wrong! The mighty Knicks beat the Hawks in six games and swept the 76ers, who almost had Joel Embiid for the entire series. Everyone and their bodega cat thinks the Knicks are the second coming of the Michael Jordan Bulls, when in reality, they just haven't faced any real competition. Give me Cleveland after a tough series.

💡 How I'm betting NBA futures right now

My goal right now when betting NBA futures is to find where the market is overreacting.

Are the Thunder a great team? Of course! But they consistently lost against Wembanyama this season, and their struggles against a 7-foot-4 player who can dribble and shoot like a wing probably aren't a coincidence. The Thunder sweeping the short-handed Lakers doesn't mean they magically can dominate the Spurs now.

As for the Cavaliers, the market projected them as the second-best team in the East when the playoffs started (behind Boston). The Knicks beating Atlanta and Philadelphia doesn't move the needle for me.