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The 2025 NBA Finals begin Thursday, June 5, when the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder host the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers in Game 1 in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were able to emerge out of the Western Conference after winning a league-best 68 games during the regular season, while the Pacers' excellence on the road allowed them to break through the Eastern Conference. Oklahoma City swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round before going to seven games with the 2023 champion Denver Nuggets. The Thunder dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the Western Conference Finals to make their first NBA Finals appearance since 2012. Oklahoma City is looking for its first championship since relocating from Seattle.

The Pacers are also seeking their first title in franchise history as they return to the Finals for the first time since 2000. Indiana made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, and this team's core has taken the next step by making the championship series. The Pacers took care of the Milwaukee Bucks in five games before upsetting the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Indiana then got a rematch of last year's conference semifinals with the New York Knicks, and took down the No. 3 seed in six games. While the Pacers may have been fortunate as Milwaukee and Cleveland were both dealing with injuries, the Knicks were healthy in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Both sides come into the NBA Finals with a clean bill of health. Aaron Nesmith was dealing with an ankle injury late in the Eastern Conference Finals but did play through the issue. Oklahoma City and Indiana have relied on depth in these playoffs, with both teams routinely playing 10 or more in their rotations. The Thunder have been a force on the defensive end, creating 17.0 turnovers per game to lead all playoff teams. They rank fourth in opponent points allowed during the postseason. On the flip side, the Pacers have been one of the best offensive teams in the playoffs, scoring 117.4 points per game. Indiana is hitting 40.1% of its 3-point shots in the postseason on 33.4 attempts per game, while Oklahoma City has limited opponents to a 33.1% clip from deep. The 3-pointer margin and turnover battle will be two key areas to watch as the series gets going.

The Thunder, who entered the postseason as odds-on favorites to win the title, are massive -700 favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Pacers are +500 underdogs. For those looking to get more value on Oklahoma City, the series spread market could be worth checking out. Thunder -1.5 games is priced at -275, while Thunder -2.5 games is priced at -140. If you're looking for an exact series result, Oklahoma City to win 4-1 is the most likely outcome at +250, while a Thunder sweep is just behind that at +260. If you are confident the Thunder will win relatively quickly, you can place a wager on both outcomes and net a profit as long as one or the other occurs. According to projections from CBS Sports' Stephen Oh, Oklahoma City sweeps the series 25.6% of the time and wins in five games 37.6% of the time.

For those who think Indiana can stretch the series to six or seven games if not win it all, the spread markets are a good place to start. Indiana +2.5 games is +120, and given the Pacers' 6-2 road record, it's not out of the question for them to grab a surprise split in Oklahoma City. The Pacers have also made big comebacks in these playoffs in each series, so they are never truly out of the game.

The oddsmakers are expecting a short series, with 5 games (+230) and 4 games (+240) as the most likely outcomes for series duration. You can even bet on Game 1/series double markets, with Oklahoma City to win G1/series priced at -275.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league MVP, is the overwhelming favorite to double up and capture the Finals MVP award at -600. SGA is averaging 29.8 points per game during these playoffs and has scored 30+ points 11 times. He is -120 to score 40+ points in any Finals game and -3500 to lead the series in points scored. As great as Gilgeous-Alexander is, the Thunder have seen Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren grow up in these playoffs. Williams responded from a horrendous Game 6 showing against the Nuggets with a dominant Game 7 effort, posting 24 points, seven assists and five rebounds in a 125-93 win. Williams was a team-best +35 that day. Holmgren flexed his skills on the interior against the Timberwolves, averaging 21.5 points and seven rebounds in Games 4 and 5 to help OKC close out the series. Holmgren also had three blocks in each game, including a late stuff on Jaden McDaniels in Game 4 en route to a 128-126 win. 

Williams is +3500 to win Finals MVP and Holmgren is +8000, but both players have value in alternate markets. Williams is +800 to be the highest scorer in any game, something he's more than capable of doing if SGA has an off night or sees more attention from Pacers defenders. He is +115 to score 30+ points in any Finals game. Holmgren is a -185 favorite to lead the series in rebounds. He is priced at +160 to record 15+ rebounds in any game in the series.

Indiana has its own superstar point guard in Tyrese Haliburton, who is averaging 18.8 points and 9.8 assists per game in these playoffs. He began the postseason with four straight double-doubles against the Bucks and had his first signature moment with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer off a missed free throw against the Cavaliers in Game 2 for a 120-119 win. The Pacers were down by as many as 20 points and scored eight points in the final 47.9 seconds of that game. Haliburton then delivered a 32-point triple-double in Game 4 against the Knicks to give Indiana the 3-1 series lead. He logged 21 points and 13 assists in the closeout game. Haliburton is a -125 favorite to lead the Finals in 3-pointers made and the major -900 favorite to lead the series in assists. He is +750 to win Finals MVP. 

Pascal Siakam, Indiana's major trade acquisition in 2024, is +1600 to follow up his Eastern Conference Finals MVP with a Finals MVP honor. Siakam was relatively quiet in the first two rounds of the playoffs but exploded for 39 points in Game 2 against the Knicks before dropping 31 in Game 6 to close out the series. Siakam is +110 to record a double-double in the series, something he has done just once in these playoffs.

There's plenty of star power in these Finals, but role players can often be the difference between winning and losing. That's especially true for these teams, which rely on deeper rotations than most squads in the playoffs. That can provide a good opening for bettors when backing less heralded players. Andrew Nembhard, who regularly starts for Indiana, is one such player. He is +135 to score 20+ points in any Finals game. Even though Nembhard has only hit this mark once in the playoffs and is averaging just 12.8 points per game, the Pacers will need someone other than Haliburton and Siakam to deliver a big showing. Nembhard has shown he is not afraid of big moments, and he could surprise in one of Indiana's home games. Nesmith, who is shooting 50% from 3-point land on 5.4 attempts per game in these playoffs, is +225 to make five or more triples in any game. He's done that just twice in the playoffs but has hit four triples in three other games.

For Thunder role players, it might be best to look at props on a game-by-game basis. Starting big man Isaiah Hartenstein, who is averaging 10.1 rebounds per game, is +110 at DraftKings to log eight or more boards in Game 1. Lu Dort is known for his defense, but he is averaging 2.3 made triples per game and is -195 to hit two or more in Game 1. Cason Wallace is averaging 7.8 points per game in the playoffs and is -130 to score seven or more in Game 1. He's +105 to log eight or more points in the series opener.

The Thunder are 9-point favorites in the latest SportsLine consensus odds for Game 1, priced at -400 (wager $400 to win $100) on the money line. The Pacers are +314 (wager $100 to win $314) underdogs, and the total comes in at 230.5. You can see the model's latest projections, along with expert picks for Pacers-Thunder Game 1, at SportsLine.