by Al McMordie
Friday, Oct 17, 2025For a long time, we did not see many repeat champions. But that has been changing over the past couple of years. In College Basketball, Connecticut won back-to-back National Championships in 2023 and 2024. Likewise, the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowls those same two years. The NHL saw repeat champions in 2020 and 2021 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and in 2024 and 2025 with the Florida Panthers. And the Georgia Bulldogs won back-to-back titles in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Even Major League Baseball -- which has not seen a repeat winner since the New York Yankees won three straight titles from 1998 to 2000 -- may get a back-to-back winner this season with the Dodgers. So, with repeat titles in vogue, we'll take Oklahoma City to run it back in 2026. Currently, the best odds are +245 at DraftKings.
The Thunder's three best players are just starting to discover how good they can be. And none of them have even entered their prime years. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the MVP last season, and is 27 years old. Jalen Williams is only 24. And Chet Holmgren is a year younger, at 23. But it's not just this trio; a majority of the Thunder's roster is 25 years old (or younger).
Last season, the Thunder were 68-14, and set a regular season record (including the in-season tournament championship game) with a margin of victory of 12.51. And they also had the best point spread record ever, as they went 54-26-3 ATS, and covered the point spread by an average of 3.62 ppg. The Thunder was not as dominant in the post-season, as they went 16-7 straight-up, and 11-12 ATS. Their victory margin was still impressive at 11.60. But they also were stretched to seven games by both the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers.
Houston, Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers will be the main threats out West, while the New York Knicks and Cleveland lurk in the East. But none of those five teams improved enough to challenge the Thunder, especially since OKC is IMPROVING itself. I expect OKC's defense to once again be the best in basketball. The Thunder led the league in defensive rating (106.6), steals, opponent FG percentage, and opponent 3-point FG percentage. They also were second in blocks. Defense wins championships, and OKC's defense is by far the best. Take the Thunder at +245 to win the 2026 Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Good luck, as always,
Al McMordie
The Thunder's three best players are just starting to discover how good they can be. And none of them have even entered their prime years. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the MVP last season, and is 27 years old. Jalen Williams is only 24. And Chet Holmgren is a year younger, at 23. But it's not just this trio; a majority of the Thunder's roster is 25 years old (or younger).
Last season, the Thunder were 68-14, and set a regular season record (including the in-season tournament championship game) with a margin of victory of 12.51. And they also had the best point spread record ever, as they went 54-26-3 ATS, and covered the point spread by an average of 3.62 ppg. The Thunder was not as dominant in the post-season, as they went 16-7 straight-up, and 11-12 ATS. Their victory margin was still impressive at 11.60. But they also were stretched to seven games by both the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers.
Houston, Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers will be the main threats out West, while the New York Knicks and Cleveland lurk in the East. But none of those five teams improved enough to challenge the Thunder, especially since OKC is IMPROVING itself. I expect OKC's defense to once again be the best in basketball. The Thunder led the league in defensive rating (106.6), steals, opponent FG percentage, and opponent 3-point FG percentage. They also were second in blocks. Defense wins championships, and OKC's defense is by far the best. Take the Thunder at +245 to win the 2026 Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Good luck, as always,
Al McMordie
