by William Burns
Monday, Sep 28, 2026Over the past couple of seasons, I've made an article with NBA futures to make prior to the season and have hit on some big one's including Stephon Castle (at +1000) to win the ROTY award in 2024-25. Here in the 2026-27 season, I've officially got my "five future bets" locked and loaded. Make these bets ASAP before the good odds go away! (Odds via. DraftKings Sportsbook)
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1.) Ausar Thompson To Be Named First Team All-Defensive (-165)
Considering what he did last season with the Detroit Pistons, there's no doubt in my mind that Ausar Thompson's defense is going to continue to improve. Making 1st-Team all defense was an outstanding accomplishment in 2025-26 & I expect Ausar to have another phenomenal campaign in 2026-27. The Pistons will be one of the best in the East again this season, even if Duren doesn't decide to come back. These odds are too good to pass up on in my eyes.
2.) Caleb Wilson To Win Rookie Of The Year (+350)
Out of all of the top four rookies in this class, I believe that Caleb Wilson might just end up as the best of the bunch. He's got all of the confidence in the world & joins a Bulls team that's ready for him to make an immediate impact. Josh Giddey & Matas Buzelis are the other two key pieces at the moment. That means that Wilson can slot right into the starting lineup with ease & I expect him to pick up right where he left off before being injured last season in the NCAA. At +350, I believe that these odds are phenomenal.
3.) Charlotte Hornets Under 39.5 Wins (-120)
Charlotte was one of the more explosive team's last season with a lot of three balls & a lot of alley-oops. That's fun basketball right there. Even though he's injury prone and doesn't play every game in the season, losing a player like LaMelo Ball could very well be demoralizing for an up and coming franchise. Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of strong pieces to this team including Kon Knueppel & Brandon Miller. But, this could definitely end up as a rebuilding year for the Hornets with all of the talent coming into the Eastern Conference.
4.) Nikola Jokic To Win MVP (+500)
At +500, I'm willing to roll the dice on perhaps the most skilled big man that this game has ever seen. The 3-time MVP has most definitely already shown what he's capable of in this league, winning a championship and winning this award on three difference occasions. However, there's been a lot of rising superstar talent that he's had to compete with, making it difficult to continue winning. With players needing to play a certain amount of games though, anything can happen. I am a huge Jokic fan and I think he has as good of a chance as anyone of winning his 4th MVP.
5.) Oklahoma City Thunder To Win The Championship (+270)
Last season, Oklahoma City came up short in the postseason and allowed San Antonio to get a taste of the NBA Finals. However, the Spurs also couldn't finish the deal, with the Knicks taking the 2025-26 NBA Championship. This season, I expect a rejuvenated Thunder squad to go all the way once again. This is a team that continues to get better, with Aday Mara & Bennett Stirtz coming in as rookies. Jared McCain will also have a full season with this group & the sky is the limit for Ajay Mitchell. This is a team that most definitely should be competing for the title and there's a great chance that they win again.
Burns' Current Champion Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder
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1.) Ausar Thompson To Be Named First Team All-Defensive (-165)
Considering what he did last season with the Detroit Pistons, there's no doubt in my mind that Ausar Thompson's defense is going to continue to improve. Making 1st-Team all defense was an outstanding accomplishment in 2025-26 & I expect Ausar to have another phenomenal campaign in 2026-27. The Pistons will be one of the best in the East again this season, even if Duren doesn't decide to come back. These odds are too good to pass up on in my eyes.
2.) Caleb Wilson To Win Rookie Of The Year (+350)
Out of all of the top four rookies in this class, I believe that Caleb Wilson might just end up as the best of the bunch. He's got all of the confidence in the world & joins a Bulls team that's ready for him to make an immediate impact. Josh Giddey & Matas Buzelis are the other two key pieces at the moment. That means that Wilson can slot right into the starting lineup with ease & I expect him to pick up right where he left off before being injured last season in the NCAA. At +350, I believe that these odds are phenomenal.
3.) Charlotte Hornets Under 39.5 Wins (-120)
Charlotte was one of the more explosive team's last season with a lot of three balls & a lot of alley-oops. That's fun basketball right there. Even though he's injury prone and doesn't play every game in the season, losing a player like LaMelo Ball could very well be demoralizing for an up and coming franchise. Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of strong pieces to this team including Kon Knueppel & Brandon Miller. But, this could definitely end up as a rebuilding year for the Hornets with all of the talent coming into the Eastern Conference.
4.) Nikola Jokic To Win MVP (+500)
At +500, I'm willing to roll the dice on perhaps the most skilled big man that this game has ever seen. The 3-time MVP has most definitely already shown what he's capable of in this league, winning a championship and winning this award on three difference occasions. However, there's been a lot of rising superstar talent that he's had to compete with, making it difficult to continue winning. With players needing to play a certain amount of games though, anything can happen. I am a huge Jokic fan and I think he has as good of a chance as anyone of winning his 4th MVP.
5.) Oklahoma City Thunder To Win The Championship (+270)
Last season, Oklahoma City came up short in the postseason and allowed San Antonio to get a taste of the NBA Finals. However, the Spurs also couldn't finish the deal, with the Knicks taking the 2025-26 NBA Championship. This season, I expect a rejuvenated Thunder squad to go all the way once again. This is a team that continues to get better, with Aday Mara & Bennett Stirtz coming in as rookies. Jared McCain will also have a full season with this group & the sky is the limit for Ajay Mitchell. This is a team that most definitely should be competing for the title and there's a great chance that they win again.
Burns' Current Champion Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder
