NBA Basketball
2025-06-05 - Indiana Pacers at Oklahoma City Thunder
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NBA Finals Game 1
Thursday 5th June 2025 - Scheduled 8:30pm
1:30am (British Time)
Preview
The NBA Finals features two teams where both would have expected to be taking part in this Series, but only one that the public would have believed in.
For much of the last eighteen months, the Oklahoma City Thunder have looked like a developing team that were ready to move from potential into Champions.
However, they were upset in the Second Round of the Playoffs last season and the same almost happened in 2025- this time the Thunder found a way to progress in Game 7 and the comfortable Series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves means they will go in as favourites to win the NBA Finals.
Fans, and the layers, have believed in Oklahoma City all season and they were amongst the market leaders even before the first tip-off.
On the other side, the Indiana Pacers may have felt overlooked by outsiders and they were considered an underdog even when the Playoffs began with the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics seen as much more likely NBA Finalists. The Pacers had experience though having reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024 and this is a team and a Coaching staff that have full belief in what they are trying to do.
The Pacers have dropped just four games in beating Milwaukee, Cleveland and the New York Knicks in the Playoff run and the Offensive power has been really impressive. There is a depth to the rotation that makes them dangerous and this will give Indiana fans real hope that they can upset the odds and win the NBA Championship.
Key players will have to perform at a top level and the Pacers are also going to be tested by an Oklahoma City rotation that can match their depth from the bench. There is no doubt that the Thunder can go score for score if needed, but the real difference between the teams may be on the Defensive side of the court where Oklahoma City have played at an elite level.
Unlike the teams that have been beaten by the Pacers, the Oklahoma City Thunder will feel they have the players that can rotate around and really put the clamp on this strong Offensive unit.
They did meet twice in the regular season and the Indiana Pacers will take encouragement from the fact they scored 111 and 114 points in those games, although they lost both, which underlines how tough it may be to find the balance needed to beat the top Seed coming out of the Western Conference.
The game hosted by the Thunder was played as recently as the end of March and resulted in a 19 point win for the home team.
Oklahoma City are being asked to cover a big number in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but they are in a position where recent hosts in the NBA Finals have produced dominant wins. In the last eleven, those hosts have a 9-2 record against the spread and have won by an average of over 13 points per game, while home favourites being asked to lay at least 4.5 points have a 21-10-2 record against the spread since 2013.
It is a big number for Game 1 considering what we have seen from the Indiana Pacers on the Offensive side of the court, but it does feel like the Thunder are significantly better and that could play out to lay an early marker down for the entire NBA Finals.
Prediction
Lay the points with the Western Conference Champions as the NBA Finals get underway.
The Pick :
Oklahoma City Thunder 119-106 Indiana Pacers
