Oklahoma City Thunder Dominate Indiana Pacers in NBA Finals Odds: Thunder -800 Favorites
The Oklahoma City Thunder are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, having dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games. They will face off against the Indiana Pacers, who eliminated the New York Knicks in six games. The Thunder are overwhelming favorites in this series, with a -800 odds at BetMGM, while the Pacers are +550 underdogs. This is the biggest Finals favorite in Oklahoma City's franchise history, following their -175 odds against the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals, which they ultimately lost in five games. The Seattle SuperSonics were also -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 the series in five games. The 2018 champion Golden State Warriors were the second biggest of all time as -1075 favorites over the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, being a favorite to win is not always a guarantee of success. The 2004 Detroit Pistons were +700 underdogs against the Lakers in the same year they were -700 favorites, and they went on to win the series. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been arguably the best team in the league all season, going 68-14 in the Western Conference to earn the No. 1 seed. They have a historic 55-23-4 record against the spread in the regular season, the best ATS mark in 35 seasons. While they have struggled against the spread in the postseason (7-9 ATS), they have been impressive and won games when it mattered most, including a Game 7 victory against the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals and clutch shots in Game 4 against the Timberwolves in the last round. The Indiana Pacers are in the NBA Finals for only the second time in franchise history (in 2000 they lost to the -800 favorite Los Angeles Lakers in six games). They have been impressive in the postseason, winning seven games outright as underdogs. They were a -190 favorite at sportsbooks in their Round 1 series against a banged-up Milwaukee Bucks team, before being underdogs (+425 series price) against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Knicks (+135) in the last two rounds. As of this writing, the Thunder lead 3-2 with a 120-109 victory in Game 5. The spread result was Thunder -9.5, and the total was Over 225.5. The series price heading into Game 4 was Pacers (+45). Throughout the series, we will be tracking the changing finals odds and providing updates on both teams' performances. The Oklahoma City Thunder will be looking to make history as they aim to win their first NBA championship since their last appearance in 2012. The Indiana Pacers will be looking to make their first NBA championship appearance a successful one as they try to overcome their underdog status and make a run at their first title since 2000.
