Houston Rockets 2025-26 Season Preview, Betting Odds

Having improved their overall winning percentage year over year since 2021, the Houston Rockets could have stood pat and easily continued down the path to success with an NBA championship win slowly brewing off a combination of youth and athleticism. Instead, Houston has declared its intention to compete for the Larry O'Brien trophy sooner rather than later, acquiring two-time league Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant to expedite that process.

This 2025-26 season preview will look at all important betting odds about the new-look Rockets, who may be in possession of the deepest roster in the Association which isn't solely reliant on the efforts of a 37-year-old aging superstar to make their dreams come true. However, recent news of a season-ending injury to their starting point guard may have dashed their title aspirations before the campaign even gets underway.

(Betting odds will be updated up until the start of the regular season. Be sure to check in regularly for any changes to numbers and picks)

Houston Rockets 2025 NBA Draft

Houston Rockets 2025 Re-Signings

Steven Adams agrees to three-year, $39-million extension
Aaron Holiday agrees to contract
Jeff Green agrees to one-year, $3.63-million contract
Jabari Smith Jr. agrees to five-year, $122-million extension
Jae'Sean Tate agrees to one-year, $3-million contract
Fred VanVleet agrees to two-year, $50-million extension

Houston Rockets 2025 Additions

Clint Capela agrees to three-year, $21.5-million contract
JD Davison agrees to one-year contract
Kevin Durant acquired via trade from Phoenix Suns
Dorian Finney-Smith agrees to four-year, $53-million contract
Josh Okogie agrees to one-year, $3.1-million contract

Houston Rockets 2025 Departures

Dillon Brooks traded to Phoenix Suns
N'Faly Dante agrees to two-year, $4.5-million contract with Atlanta Hawks
Jalen Green traded to Phoenix Suns
Jock Landale waived
Cam Whitmore traded to Washington Wizards

Houston Rockets 2026 NBA Championship, Western Conference, Southwest Division Betting Odds

Team	NBA Finals Odds	Western Conference Odds	Southwest Division Odds
Houston Rockets	+1700	+1000	-195

Best Bet: Houston Rockets to win NBA Championship, +1700

When the price was right for Durant, and even before that became the case, it was incredibly obvious how much of a fit he'd be on a Houston team which struggled to conjure up a closer in the postseason versus the Golden State Warriors. Jalen Green was massively disappointing in that series with six games of 12 points or less, so managing to package that with one of the league's toughest perimeter defenders in Dillon Brooks for someone with Durant's resume and still elite offensive repertoire (averaged 26.6 points in final season with Phoenix Suns) is a no-brainer for the franchise. Rather than try and figure out who will be taking the final shot in clutch moments, or try and force the square peg that was Green into a round hole, Durant offers peace of mind as someone with a storied track record of thriving in those clutch situations.

That trade generated much acclaim and attention, but some of the less-heralded moves pulled off by the Rockets this summer will also go a long way towards elevating their ceiling. Dorian Finney-Smith can guard multiple positions and will ease the burden of having to part with Brooks as an effective 3-and-D wing. Swiss giant Clint Capela may get limited run behind Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, but he's still an established shot-blocker and interior defender who hasn't averaged fewer than a rejection per contest since his rookie campaign a decade ago.

Sengun was named an All-Star in his fourth season, and the rapid ascension of Amen Thompson as a two-way beast has been a sight to behold. Unfortunately, news recently emerged that Fred VanVleet has suffered a torn ACL which could sideline him for the entire season, and being below the first apron, Houston doesn't have the benefit of being able to fill that spot with a free agent, therefore leaving some combination of Thompson, sophomore Reed Sheppard, and Aaron Holiday to run the point. VanVleet averaged 18.7 points in the playoffs and has championship experience from his tenure north of the border, so he won't be easily replaced. His injury doesn't completely remove the Rockets from the championship picture, but it does make their journey a bit more arduous.

Houston Rockets 2025-26 NBA Win Total, Make Playoffs Odds

Team	Win Total	OVER	UNDER	Odds To Make Playoffs
Houston Rockets	52.5	-102	-120	-1450

Best Bet: UNDER 52.5 wins, -120

Last season's 52-30 record to earn the second seed in the West was the Rockets' best finish since 2018-19 when they were one game better at 53-29 and one series better before bowing out in the conference semifinals to the Golden State Warriors. Houston has consistently been building off of its prior number, but VanVleet's injury is a major problem which won't be easily fixed.

Only the Thunder managed to reach an OVER on 52.5 in 2024-25, as there was a slew of teams bunched together in the standings with between 48 and 52 wins. As great as the Rockets look, separating themselves from the pack to go OVER here is going to be a difficult task, and that's more so due to the talent housed in the conference and not a reflection of what they're capable of themselves.

Play Now

Featured Offer

Bet $5 Get If Your Bet Wins $100 in Bonus Bets

Play Now

Terms and Conditions

New customers only. Deposit min. $10. Place first bet of min $5 and get $100 in bonus bets if your bet wins.

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
21+ and present in OH.

Houston Rockets 2025-26 NBA Awards Odds

Name	MVP	Defensive	Most Improved	Sixth Man	Clutch	Finals MVP	Coach
Kevin Durant	+7000				+900	+2500
Alperen Sengun	+30000		+6000		+20000	+6000
Amen Thompson	+50000	+1600	+950			+8000
Tari Eason		+50000	+35000	+1600
Jabari Smith Jr.			+6000
Reed Sheppard			+3000	+2500
Ime Udoka							+1300

Best Bet: Ime Udoka for NBA Coach of the Year, +1300

Ime Udoka's first two years on the sidelines with the Rockets have culminated in a sixth-place and third-place finish in voting for the Red Auerbach trophy. The circumstances behind his suspension and eventual dismissal from the Boston Celtics in 2022-23 should never be forgotten, but the reality now is that Udoka has reestablished his name as arguably the best head coach going today, which is something he was already well on his way to doing in Beantown.

This is a regular season award, so the Rockets' potential postseason success won't play into the end result here. Udoka currently owns the fourth-shortest odds behind betting favorites Jamahl Mosley (Orlando Magic) and Quin Snyder (Atlanta Hawks), while both Mike Brown (New York Knicks) and JB Bickerstaff (Detroit Pistons) are locked for third. Recipients of this award tend to coach teams which saw considerable improvements in winning percentage, and Houston won't be catching anyone off guard if it lands in the No. 2 seed once again behind presumed No. 1 Oklahoma City.

Nonetheless, Udoka's work with the Rockets is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. He would become the fourth coach in franchise history to be recognized for his work should this come to fruition, and that's something the great Rudy Tomjanovich - widely considered to be the greatest coach Houston ever had - never received during his tenure.