Oklahoma City Thunder 2024-25 Season Preview, Betting Odds

The turnaround of the Oklahoma City Thunder has been something to behold, from dropping 57 games two years ago to winning 58 in 2023-24 and finishing first overall in the Western Conference, therefore sending future expectations into orbit of what this team is capable of achieving. 

This 2024-25 season preview analyzes all betting odds for the Thunder heading into this upcoming campaign, with oddsmakers painting them as arguably the largest threat to the Boston Celtics and the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Oklahoma City Thunder's 2024 Offseason Acquisitions 

Oklahoma City Thunder's 2024 Offseason Departures

Oklahoma City Thunder's 2025 NBA Championship, Western Conference, Northwest Division Betting Odds

Odds as of October 18, 2024 at FanDuel

A second-round exit at the hands of the more experienced Dallas Mavericks in what was Oklahoma City's first playoff appearance since qualifying in the Bubble was simply part of the process of forging a title contender. The Thunder possessed the third-youngest roster in the Association, so taking one on the chin in the postseason hopefully built maturity and character moving forward, enlightening the players on what it takes to prevail when the pressure is at its highest. 

Even with that defeat, Oklahoma City's run can only be viewed as a monumental success. It was one of only two teams (Celtics) to trot out a top-four offense and defense, Mark Daigneault was the clear-cut Coach of the Year winner, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander further established himself as a bonafide superstar with yet another All-NBA First Team nod along with being the runner-up in Most Valuable Player voting.

Best Bet: Oklahoma City Thunder To Win Western Conference, +330

The Thunder could have entered this season with a mirror image of last year's roster and still have been seen as a credible challenger to Boston's throne. That's not the case, though, because not only did the front office make moves, it pulled the trigger on two of the biggest of the summer in acquiring elite defender Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls along with signing center Isaiah Hartenstein away from the New York Knicks. 

This gives Daigneault a plethora of options in his starting lineup, as he can assemble the most stout five-man unit of defenders in all of basketball using any combination of his best seven players. Oklahoma City was also the most efficient team shooting the rock from behind the arc and was one of only three squads averaging at least 120 points per game, and now with Caruso and Hartenstein (who will now miss time with a fracture in his left hand) on board, there's few weaknesses to exploit for the opposition. 

No other team has greater odds in both championship and conference futures than the Thunder, and those numbers will only diminish as the year progresses once Oklahoma City starts running rampant and piling up victories. The only thing standing in its way is the Celtics, and that's also taking into account further improvement from the likes of the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, and Minnesota Timberwolves - all of whom should rightfully be slotted under the Thunder. 

Oklahoma City Thunder's 2024-25 NBA Win Total, Make Playoffs Odds

Odds as of October 18, 2024 at FanDuel

Oklahoma City improved its winning percentage by .207 from the season prior in 2023-24, a leap which was only surpassed by the Houston Rockets at .232. At .695, it was the team's best overall winning percentage in a decade since going 59-23 (.720) in 2013-14.

Best Bet: OVER 57.5 Wins, +100

At least on paper, Oklahoma City has only gotten better, and a 60-win finish is absolutely on the table with a relative clean bill of health. The absence of Hartenstein for the foreseeable future will hurt the frontcourt depth, but there's so much talent that's only getting better which will help compensate for his absence. 

Oklahoma City Thunder's 2024 NBA Cup Odds

Odds as of October 18, 2024 at FanDuel

The Thunder ended the inaugural in-season tournament with a disappointing 1-3 record in West Group C as the Sacramento Kings cruised to an undefeated 4-0 mark. Their +115 odds in West Group B this year, though, is the best of any team favored to win a group outside of the Celtics in East Group C.

Oklahoma City Thunder's 2024-25 NBA Awards Odds

Odds as of October 18, 2024 at FanDuel

Best Bet: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander For NBA Most Valuable Player, +410

Of the 75 games Gilgeous-Alexander suited up for this past season, the now 26-year-old Canadian phenom scored 30 points or more in 51 of them, breaking a franchise record once held by the great Kevin Durant. He ranked third overall in points per game at 30.1 while also averaging 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and a pair of steals, resulting in Gilgeous-Alexander accumulating 15 first-place votes for MVP. 

He inevitably lost out on the hardware to Nikola Jokic, who took home his third MVP in four years, but there was still a lot of juice in Gilgeous-Alexander's case to make for a compelling-enough argument. From a historical perspective, he became the first player to average at least 30 points on the No. 1 seed in the West and not win MVP since 1967. He also joins Michael Jordan as the only guards to put up a 30-5-5 line while connecting on at least 50 percent of their shot attempts and still come up short. 

The Thunder are so incredibly talented and deep that it may be held against Gilgeous-Alexander, although that's unfair for a myriad of reasons. The Jokic voter fatigue will likely settle in, but Mavericks star Luka Doncic is also hunting for the first MVP of his career. Both he and Gilgeous-Alexander are deservedly the frontrunners, and it should be a fight to the finish. 

2024-25 NBA Team Previews, Betting Odds