The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games. They will face the Indiana Pacers, who eliminated the New York Knicks in six games. The Thunder are overwhelming favorites in the series, opening as -800 favorites at BetMGM, with the Pacers as +550 underdogs.
In 2012, the Thunder were -175 favorites against the Miami Heat but lost in five games. The Seattle SuperSonics, predecessors to the Thunder, were -140 favorites in the 1978 NBA Finals against the Washington Bullets. The biggest favorites in NBA Finals history were the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers, who were -2000 against the Philadelphia 76ers and won in five games. The 2018 Golden State Warriors were the second biggest favorites at -1075 over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The biggest favorites to lose in the Finals were the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers, who were -700 favorites but fell to the Detroit Pistons.
Oklahoma City has been the best team in the league this season, posting a 68-14 record in the Western Conference and earning the No. 1 seed. They hold a historic 55-23-4 record against the spread, the best in 35 seasons. Although they have struggled against the spread in the postseason (7-9 ATS), they have won crucial games, including Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets and clutch performances against the Timberwolves.
The Pacers are in the NBA Finals for only the second time in franchise history. They have been impressive in the postseason, winning seven games as underdogs. Indiana was a -190 favorite in Round 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks but were underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Knicks in the subsequent rounds.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday on ABC. The Thunder are 9-point home favorites with a total of 229.5.