The Oklahoma City Thunder are the +145 favorite to win the 2026-27 Western Conference, a 40.8% implied chance. The San Antonio Spurs, who beat them in Game 7 of the conference finals in May, are right behind at +160.
Those are DraftKings prices on ESPN’s 2026-27 futures board, read on September 24, 2026. Denver is a distant third at +1100, and the two favorites meet on opening night, October 20, with the Thunder at San Antonio.
2027 Western Conference odds
| Team | Odds | Implied chance | 2025-26 record | 2025-26 seed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +145 | 40.8% | 64-18 | 1 |
| San Antonio Spurs | +160 | 38.5% | 62-20 | 2 |
| Denver Nuggets | +1100 | 8.3% | 54-28 | 3 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +1300 | 7.1% | 49-33 | 6 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +1900 | 5.0% | 53-29 | 4 |
| Golden State Warriors | +2200 | 4.3% | 37-45 | 10 |
| Houston Rockets | +2800 | 3.4% | 52-30 | 5 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | +4000 | 2.4% | 42-40 | 7 |
| Phoenix Suns | +7000 | 1.4% | 45-37 | 8 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +8000 | 1.2% | 26-56 | 12 |
| Utah Jazz | +10000 | 1.0% | 22-60 | 15 |
| LA Clippers | +18000 | 0.6% | 42-40 | 9 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +20000 | 0.5% | 26-56 | 11 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +40000 | 0.2% | 25-57 | 13 |
| Sacramento Kings | +70000 | 0.1% | 22-60 | 14 |
The implied chance is 100 divided by the price plus 100, before the book’s margin comes out. All 15 add up to 115.1%, so each true chance sits a little below its figure here.
This is the 2026-27 market. ESPN files it under the season it labels 2026-27, and the 2026 West title was settled in May, when San Antonio won it.
The Spurs won the West in 2026
San Antonio went 12-6 through the West bracket. It beat Portland 4-1 in the first round and Minnesota 4-2 in the second, then won the conference finals 4-3 against Oklahoma City, taking Game 7 on the road, 111-103.
Victor Wembanyama was the Western Conference Finals MVP, in the same season he was named Defensive Player of the Year. The Spurs then lost the NBA Finals 4-1 to the New York Knicks, who closed it out 94-90 in San Antonio in Game 5.
Why the top two are so close
Oklahoma City had the best record in the league at 64-18 and allowed 107.9 points a game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the 2025-26 MVP. The Thunder swept Phoenix and the Lakers before the Spurs stopped them in seven games.
San Antonio finished two games behind at 62-20 and scored 119.8 a game. The board has the pair 2.3 points of implied chance apart, and 30.2 points clear of Denver in third.
The rest of the West
Denver went 54-28 and lost in the first round, 4-2 to Minnesota. The Lakers, the fourth seed, beat Houston 4-2 and were then swept by Oklahoma City.
Two prices stand out against last season’s record. Golden State went 37-45, won its first play-in game at the Clippers and then lost 111-96 at Phoenix for the eighth seed. It sits sixth on this board at +2200. Houston won 52 games and is seventh at +2800.
Recent Western Conference champions
| Season | West champion | Finals result |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | San Antonio Spurs | Lost to New York Knicks 4-1 |
| 2024-25 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Beat Indiana Pacers 4-3 |
| 2023-24 | Dallas Mavericks | Lost to Boston Celtics 4-1 |
| 2022-23 | Denver Nuggets | Beat Miami Heat 4-1 |
| 2021-22 | Golden State Warriors | Beat Boston Celtics 4-2 |
| 2020-21 | Phoenix Suns | Lost to Milwaukee Bucks 4-2 |
| 2019-20 | Los Angeles Lakers | Beat Miami Heat 4-2 |
| 2018-19 | Golden State Warriors | Lost to Toronto Raptors 4-2 |
| 2017-18 | Golden State Warriors | Beat Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 |
| 2016-17 | Golden State Warriors | Beat Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 |
Seven different teams have won the West in ten seasons, and six of those ten champions went on to win the title. No West team has reached consecutive Finals since Golden State made it in 2018 and 2019.
What the prices say
The Thunder at +145 need to win the West 40.8% of the time for a bet to break even, and the Spurs at +160 need 38.5%. A futures bet is worth making only when you rate a team’s chance higher than the price does, and this board will move once the season starts.
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder team pages hold their schedules, starting with the opening-night game between them. For the full title board, see our NBA championship odds, and for the other side of the bracket, our Eastern Conference odds. From October 20, our NBA predictions carry the nightly calls, and our NBA betting guide covers the season. For paid NBA picks, the membership trial is here.