Here we go: the NBA Finals have arrived. Game 1 will occur on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 ET, live from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Here we go: the NBA Finals have arrived. Game 1 will occur on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 ET, live from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
To get here, the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, whereas the Pacers downed the New York Knicks in six.
Who do you have winning the NBA Finals?
See my Game 1 preview, odds, and best bets below.
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Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers betting preview
The Thunder head into this game as massive favorites to win the NBA Finals. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, they’re -750 to win this series. The Thunder have been arguably the best team in the NBA this season. They average 119.5 points per game (third). They shoot 47.7% from the floor (10th) and 36.6% from beyond the arc (10th). Where they really shine is on defense.
They allow just 107.3 points per game (third) and hold opponents to 43.4% shooting percentage from the floor (first) and 34.1% from beyond the arc (first). They’re led by the league MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This season, he averaged 32.7 points, five rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.
During this postseason, he’s averaging just under 30 points per game. He’s had 11 games with 31 points or more in 16 tries. They’ve also gotten excellent contributions from Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and more.
As for the Pacers, they come into this series as the No. 4 seed from the Eastern Conference. They beat the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Knicks to get here. They’ve been led all postseason long by Tyrese Haliburton. I still expect him to play well for them, but he’ll have a tall task in front of him against this Thunder defense.
Anthony Edwards from the Timberwolves once described the Thunder defense as “15 puppets on one string,” indicating how in sync they were with one another. The other aspect of this matchup I’ll be intrigued to see is the pace. Typically, it’s the Pacers that want to rush up and down the court to disorient their opponents, but the Thunder thrive off that as well.
In fact, the Pacers average 103.7 possessions per game, while the Thunder are just below them at 103.6. Looking at their two regular season matchups, Andrew Nembhard was responsible for guarding Gilgeous-Alexander, who put up nearly 80 points in those two matchups. Can this defense find a way to shut the MVP down? We shall see.
Thunder vs Pacers odds
Below are the odds for this matchup, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Spread: Indiana Pacers (+9.5, -112); Oklahoma City Thunder (-9.5, -108).
- Moneyline: Indiana Pacers (+320); Oklahoma City Thunder (-405).
- Total: Over 231 (-110); Under 231 (-110)
Thunder vs Pacers analysis
The Thunder and Pacers are both going to play an uptempo brand of basketball. The biggest difference is the defense. As mentioned, the Thunder are the best team in the league regarding opponent field goal and 3-point shooting percentage.
Meanwhile, the Pacers allow a shooting percentage of 47.1% from the floor (19th) and 35.2% from 3-point range (fifth).
The 3-point shooting percentage defense is great, but the Thunder, especially Gilgeous-Alexander, shoots plenty of mid-range jumpers.
There will still be many shots from beyond the arc, though, as the Thunder average 38.5 attempts (10th) and the Pacers average 35.4 3-point attempts (20th) per game.
Thunder vs Pacers picks
The Thunder will win this series in five or six games. There’s talent on this Pacers team, but they’re not going to be able to compete unless they somehow shoot well above how they normally do.
The Thunder defense is far too strong, and I’m not confident the Pacers have an answer to defend Gilgeous-Alexander.
I expect an uptempo game, but the Thunder defense will be just fine managing that pace.
The Thunder will win and cover.
Pick Thunder -9.5 at (-108) with FanDuel
Thunder vs Pacers game info
- Who: Thunder vs Pacers
- Date: Thursday, June 5
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Where to watch: ABC
About the author
Richard Janvrin
Richard Janvrin brings nearly a decade of experience covering sports, sports betting, and everything iGaming. Richard received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism/English from the University of New Hampshire. Throughout his career, Richard has written for sites like Bleacher Report, Forbes, The Game Day, WSN, Gambling.com, and many more.
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