- The OKC Thunder are huge favorites over the Indiana Pacers in Sport 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday
- The Thunder have solely misplaced as soon as at residence within the postseason, however the Pacers are 6-2 away
- See my Pacers vs Thunder picks and predictions, plus the very best odds for Sport 1
The 2025 NBA Finals is lastly set to start on Thursday, June fifth, with the West #1 Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (80-18, 43-7 residence, 59-35-4 ATS) internet hosting the East #4 Indiana Pacers (62-36, 26-22 away, 47-49-2 ATS) in Sport 1 of the best-of-seven collection. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:35 pm CT/8:35 pm ET on the Paycom Middle, the place the Thunder are 8-1 straight-up this postseason.
The Pacers received the Japanese Convention largely to their play in entrance of hostile highway crowds, however sportsbooks don’t contemplate Rick Carlisle’s group a lot of a menace to take Sport 1 of the NBA Finals. The desk beneath reveals the very best obtainable odds for either side of the purpose unfold, moneyline, and sport whole.
Pacers vs Thunder Odds
At this level, after 5 entire off days, the general public has had its say and the strains are virtually equivalent throughout books. The unfold is OKC -9.5 in any respect websites, however ESPN Wager at the moment has the very best odds on OKC to cowl at -105. Bet365, BetMGM, and Caesars have the very best odds on Indiana to cowl at -110.
There’s a little selection left on the moneyline in Thursday’s NBA odds. Bettors can get the Pacers so long as +340 at BetMGM in comparison with, for instance, +320 at DraftKings. However DK has the very best moneyline worth on the Thunder at -410. OKC is as quick as -455 at different websites.
The sport whole reveals a half-point vary (230.5 to 231.0). Underneath bettors ought to use DraftKings, the place beneath 231.0 is priced at -108. Over bettors ought to use both FanDuel or ESPN Wager, the place over 230.5 is listed at -110.
Odds as of June fifth. Declare the BetMGM promo code earlier than betting on the NBA Finals.
In case you thought Indiana’s Sport 1 odds appeared bleak, their NBA Championship odds inform an much more pessimistic story. Forward of Sport 1, Indiana is a +505 to win its first title in franchise historical past. The Thunder are -706 favorites, on common, to win their first championship since transferring from Seattle. (The Supersonics captured their lone NBA title in 1979.)
Taking out the juice, the present NBA championship odds give the Thunder an 84.12% implied win likelihood, and the Pacers simply 15.88%.
In fact, this isn’t the primary time the Pacers have been huge underdogs in a collection this postseason. After beating the Bucks in 5 video games as -190 chalk in spherical one, Indiana beat the Cavaliers in 5 video games as +360 underdogs in spherical two. They wanted six video games to get previous the Knicks within the East last as +120 canine.

OKC was a large favourite in every of the primary three rounds. The Thunder swept the Grizzlies as -1800 chalk. Then they squeaked previous Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in seven video games as -700 favorites. Within the West last, they made fast work of the Timberwolves, needing simply 5 video games to seize the convention title as -265 favorites.
Pacers vs Thunder Picks for Sport 1
The Thunder have been wonderful defensively within the first quarter of all three Sport 1s to this point. They allowed simply 20 factors to Memphis, 26 to Denver, and 23 to Minnesota, and all three of these quarters stayed beneath 56.5 factors by a cushty margin, averaging simply 49.3 factors per quarter.

The Pacers soared properly over 56.5 in every of their Sport 1 first quarters, however I don’t anticipate Indiana to be dictating the tempo, and that is the primary time they’ll be dealing with an elite protection within the postseason. The very best protection they’ve seen to date within the playoffs is Cleveland, which completed eighth in D-Score (111.8) within the common season. The Bucks have been twelfth and the Knicks have been thirteenth.
The Thunder, after all, have been first in D-Score, and it wasn’t notably shut. With a D-Score of 106.6 within the common season, OKC was 2.5 factors forward of second-ranked Orlando, which is greater than the distinction between Orlando and seventh-ranked Golden State (111.0).
Add in the truth that each groups have been off for a minimum of 5 days (OKC has been off for eight), and I’ve a tough time seeing the offenses clicking straight away. Apply as a lot and as exhausting as you need; when you’ve a week-long layoff, it’s going to influence the primary minutes again on the court docket.
But, in any case that hyping-up of the OKC protection, I’m additionally taking Indiana to cowl the 9.5-point unfold. That may be a large quantity towards a group as deep because the Pacers. One of many important causes Indiana has been capable of finding a lot success on the highway within the postseason is its potential to lean on so many alternative gamers.
Pascal Siakam is averaging a team-high 21.1 PPG within the playoffs, however he’s one in all simply six Pacers in double-figures. They’ve arguably the very best level guard within the league in Tyrese Haliburton (18.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 9.8 APG) and he’s supremely adept at discovering the recent hand on his group, be it Siakam, Myles Turner (15.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.4 APG), Aaron Nesmith (14.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.2 APG), Andrew Nembhard (12.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.1 APG), Bennedict Mathurin (10.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG), or himself.
5 of these gamers (excepting Nesmith) have led the Pacers in scoring in a minimum of one playoff sport, and Nesmith dropped 30 in Indiana’s wild Sport 1 OT victory towards the Knicks.