It’s not quite the matchup of Cavaliers vs. Thunder that the regular season made it look like we were on the fast track to see, but it’s half of it. Instead, we’ve got OKC taking on the Indiana Pacers, and after some time off, we’ve finally got the series tipping off tonight. Therefore, we’ve got our best Pacers vs. Thunder predictions for Game 1 tonight

We’ve even got an awesome way to add to the best bet from our Pacers vs. Thunder picks - even for fans in Oklahoma - with a guaranteed, two-part Chalkboard Fantasy promo code bonus!

Pacers vs. Thunder Predictions For NBA Finals Game 1, 6/5

We’re not going to pretend that any NBA Finals wouldn’t be an exciting series to break down, but the way that the Pacers and Thunder match up truly does set us up for an amazing couple of weeks. As the boxing saying goes - styles make fights.

Well, we’ve got a clash of great on great thanks to Indiana’s fast-paced offense and Oklahoma City’s thunderous defense. The former helped us hit our most recent best bet of a Tyrese Haliburton double-double, which was the way to go since his 21 points were quite the sweat to go over his 20.5 points line.

Regardless, shifting our focus back to this series, facing the Thunder defense is a totally different beast. Having said that, the total according to the Pacers vs. Thunder odds for Game 1 is higher than you may expect at 230.5 points.

Of course, that’s just one of the countless betting markets for us to focus on for the best bet from our Pacers vs. Thunder predictions!
 

 

 

Indiana Pacers: Road Warriors

The Pacers winning Game 6 against the New York Knicks made it their ninth straight win following a loss this year, but it was back at home inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. However, Tyrese Haliburton and company have been road warriors this postseason as well.

Until their Game 5 loss to the Knicks, they had won a remarkable six straight playoff games. Admittedly, they needed some late-game heroics in a couple of them, but the fact remains that they don’t back down in the face of pressure. Given their huge underdog status against the Thunder, that pressure will be upon them each and every game of the NBA Finals.

 

 

 

Oklahoma City Thunder: Dominating Path To The NBA Finals

As mentioned, the Thunder looked to be on the fast track to the 2025 NBA Finals after finishing the regular season with the best record. Simply getting here already has them in the record books, as they became just the fourth team in NBA history to enter the NBA Finals with at least 80 wins.

Their regular season dominance largely continued during these playoffs, as they won two of their three series by a combined score of 8-1. While the Denver Nuggets pushed them to the brink, having arguably the best player in the world - Nikola Jokic - isn’t something any other team is going to have the luxury of.
 

 

 

Pacers vs. Thunder Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

Given how OKC has been the favorite to represent the Western Conference virtually all year, it’s no shock that the Pacers vs. Thunder odds for Game 1 have them as very heavy favorites:

 

 

Pacers vs. Thunder Best Bet: Andrew Nembhard over 10.5 Points (Enjoy Player Picks At Chalkboard Fantasy)

Despite having such a massive favorite for the NBA Finals, we’ve still found a spot we absolutely love to provide value with our Pacers vs. Thunder predictions. Rather than just predicting OKC to win and calling it a day, we’ve got an awesome player prop angle, and it’s focused on the Indiana side of the matchup.

No, not with Tyrese Haliburton that most Pacers fans are focused on, either. In fact, it’s that focus that has us staying away from their superstar, as the Thunder focused him in their two regular season meetings, holding Haliburton to just 11 points per game.

On the complete flip side of that was Andrew Nembhard, who averaged nearly 20 points per game against the Thunder’s amazing defense! This line is also far less than what we think it should be due to the recent Knicks series. We won’t deny that Nembhard did not light up the scoreboard against New York.

However, prior to that, he was having an excellent postseason run. He had double-digit points in 10 of his first 12 playoff games, and that even bleeds into the Knicks series. Prior to the Eastern Conference Finals, he averaged nearly 15 points per game, and even including that series, he’s still sitting at just under 13 points per game in the playoffs.

We expect OKC to again keep their focus on Tyrese Haliburton, which is why we’re locking in the best bet from our Pacers vs. Thunder picks for Game 1 on Andrew Nembhard over 10.5 points (use his player card at Chalkboard).
 

 

 

Pacers vs. Thunder Injury Report & Starting Lineup

You’ve seen us mention several of the stars in this matchup, and thankfully, the lack of Pacers vs. Thunder injury news means that we’ll be seeing the best of the best on the court for the NBA Finals. Here are the expected Pacers vs. Thunder lineups for Game 1 tonight:

IND Pacers:

OKC Thunder:

 

 

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