The Oklahoma City Thunder are heavily favored to win their first-ever NBA championship, with odds set at -700 to beat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals. The Thunder dominated the regular season, winning 68 games and cruising past Minnesota in five games in the Western Conference finals.
According to BetMGM, the most likely outcome is a Thunder sweep of the Pacers, paying out at +325. This would be the biggest favorites in several years, with only the Golden State Warriors being more favored in 2018 when they were -1075.
While there’s hope for the Pacers, who are led by players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton, it’s hard to see them overcoming the Thunder’s strong team. The Thunder have a history of success, having made two more conference finals appearances since 2012, when they lost to James’ Miami Heat.
The Thunder also have an advantage in their recent head-to-head matchups against the Pacers, winning both regular-season games this year and last. This year’s NBA Finals will be a meeting of the two losing finalists in the NBA Cup, with Indiana losing to the Lakers last year and the Thunder losing to Milwaukee this year.
Despite the odds being heavily in favor of the Thunder, there’s still a chance for an upset. The 2004 Detroit Pistons had +500 odds to beat the Lakers and won in five games, but that was an anomaly.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6395382/2025/06/01/nba-finals-odds-oklahoma-city-indiana