Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Championship is nearly upon as we begin to draw the curtain on what has been an amazing Finals campaign.
Oklahoma City Thunder enter the finale as favourites to claim the biggest prize in basketball, though the Indiana Pacers will be looking to complete an underdog story that would go down in sporting history.
In the last edition of the NBA Championship, the Boston Celtics cruised to victory by a scoreline of 4-1, with the Dallas Mavericks just unable to match their star-studded opposition.
We can only hope for a closer basketball series this time around and below is a full sports betting preview for Game 1 between the Thunder and the Pacers, which will be hosted at the famous Paycom Center in Oklahoma.
Thunder vs Pacers Preview
The Thunder enter this series on the back of one of the most dominant seasons in the rich and long history of the NBA.
Eighty-two matches in the Western Conference yielded a ridiculous 68 victories, 16 more than any other team in the division.
The Thunder then enjoyed a successful Playoff campaign, beating the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves to secure a spot in the Championship contest.
While the Pacers were nowhere near as dominant as the Thunder in the regular season, they are here on merit.
The side from Indiana actually finished fourth in the Eastern Conference table, mustering a fairly modest total of 50 victories.
But in the Playoffs, the Pacers really came to the fore. A 4-1 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks was followed by another dominant 4-1 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
And in the Eastern Conference final, the Pacers came out on top in an epic six-game series against fierce rivals the New York Knicks, winning 4-2 thanks to a 125-108 home win in Game 6.
The Thunder may have beaten the Pacers twice in the regular season, but they will know not to underestimate their opposition one bit.
Thunder vs Pacers Odds
*All odds are subject to change
The Thunder are huge favourites to win Game 1 in front of their passionate fans at odds of 1.22. A shock victory for the Pacers at the Paycom Center is priced at 4.15.
Thunder vs Pacers Betting Tips
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to record over 6.5 assists for Oklahoma City Thunder @ 1.65
Reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander will be eager to deliver yet another big performance in the 2025 NBA Finals for the Thunder. He is averaging an impressive 6.9 assists per game in the postseason, so this looks a pretty safe bet.
Tyreese Haliburton to record over 17.5 points for Indiana Pacers @ 1.90
Haliburton has been a standout performer for the Pacers throughout the campaign and he is averaging 18.8 points scored per match in the NBA postseason. Perhaps not as safe as the tip above, but a fairly risk-free selection – on paper at least!
Oklahoma City Thunder to win both halves – Yes @ 2.15
As the Thunder are hot favourites to win Game 1, we have had to look elsewhere to find value in a victory. So this selection, which involves them dominating the Pacers – as they did to a degree in the regular season contests – could be a great road to go down.
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