2025 NBA Finals odds, betting: Game 1 line moves toward Thunder despite more action on Pacers
June 5, 2025 at 5:27 PM UTC·2 min read
Bettors favor the Indiana Pacers to cover the spread in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, yet the line has shifted towards the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are now 9.5-point favorites for Thursday night’s game (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), up from an initial 8.5-point advantage. This shift occurred despite Indiana receiving 66% of bets and 63% of the money against the spread at BetMGM.
Bettors are banking on a 20-year trend that has not favored the Thunder. Oklahoma City is -700 to win the series, making them one of the largest Finals favorites ever. Since 1996, only six teams have had lower odds to win the Finals. The most significant favorite in that period was the 2001 Lakers, who were -2000 against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers won Game 1 by six points before the Lakers won the next four games to clinch the series.
The over/under for Game 1 remains at 230.5 points. Over half of the bets and 60% of the money are on the over, reflecting the strong offenses of both teams and the expected fast-paced game. The Thunder, with the best defensive rating and the third-best offensive rating in the NBA during the regular season, averaged over 120 points per game. The Pacers, with the ninth-best offensive rating, scored just over 117 points per game.
The most-bet props for Game 1 are unders for Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton. The top ticket is under 9.5 assists for Haliburton (-145), and the second-most bet prop is under 27.5 points (-120). In two games against Oklahoma City this season—both Thunder wins—Haliburton combined for 22 points and 11 assists.
Bettors also predict a six-game series favoring the Thunder. The most-bet series prop is the Thunder winning in six games at +425. However, some bettors prefer the Thunder winning the first two games, losing the third, and then winning two more to close the series in five games at +625.