An unexpected NBA Finals matchup — or at least a half-unexpected matchup — has drawn speculation that the series won’t be popular. 

But if betting on NBA Finals odds is any indication, then Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder is plenty popular.

With Game 1 at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, the series definitely has bettors’ attention. Even with OKC a seemingly prohibitive favorite — and perhaps because of that — and Indiana conversely a sizable underdog.

“It’s the odds of the series, making people think it’s gonna turn off the bettors. But it’s not. We’re taking a lot of Pacers money on the series, and we’ve taken a lot of Pacers money the last six weeks,” said Johnny Avello, director of sportsbook operations for DraftKings.

Further, thanks to prop bets and such, bettors are finding favorable ways to bet the favorite Thunder, as well.

Avello helps dive into NBA Finals odds and action.

A Lot of Opportunities

Oklahoma City is a hefty -700 favorite to win the NBA Finals, meaning it takes a $700 bet to win $100 (total payout $800). On the flip side, Indiana is a +500 underdog, so a $100 bet would profit $500 (total payout $600) if the Pacers pull the upset.

“It’s a different look. But nevertheless, it’s the NBA Finals, and it’ll write big business,” Avello said.

As noted above, public bettors are attracted to the Pacers’ series price. It’s an opportunity to bet a little and win five times that bet. But there are opportunities to boost profits on the favorite, too.

“Betting the Thunder on the number of games in the series, you’re getting a plus-money price,” Avello said. “If you think the Thunder win in five games, it’s +250. A six-game series is +450, or a sweep is +260. That’s one way people are betting it.”

To spell it out in full: Rather than betting $700 on OKC -700 to win the series — again, to profit $100 — one could bet $100 on Thunder +250 to win in five games to profit $250.

For Thursday’s best-of-seven series opener, bettors are getting involved on both sides, though in different ways. Late Saturday night, DraftKings opened the Thunder -9, and on Wednesday afternoon, OKC advanced to -9.5.

On the moneyline — just wagering on which team wins the game, regardless of margin — it’s Oklahoma City -410/Indiana +320.

“In Game 1, they’re betting the ‘dog on the moneyline. But on the spread, they’re betting the Thunder,” Avello said.

Needs and Liabilities

Oklahoma City was either No. 1 or No. 2 in NBA championship odds all season long. Now, as noted above, the Thunder are strong favorites.

That wasn’t the case for Indiana. There were points during the regular season where bettors could get the Pacers at +10000 (100/1) or more in NBA Finals futures odds.

At the outset of the playoffs, in mid-April, you could still get Indiana at a hefty +8500 to lift the trophy. A $100 bet back then would be four wins away from $8,500 profit now.

So DraftKings’ need at the moment is no surprise.

“The ideal outcome for us is for the Thunder to win the whole thing, because they were a short price all year,” Avello said. “Whereas the Pacers were longer shots before the playoffs started. It doesn’t take much to build up liability.”

I Like Big Bets and I Cannot Lie

A DraftKings customer waited until late April to get involved with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but then did so with a splash.

On April 28, the bettor put $100,000 on Thunder -175 to win the Western Conference. OKC delivered a 4-1 series win over Minnesota, and the customer profited $57,140 (total payout $157,140).

But there could be a lot more to come for this bettor, who has two major wagers on the Thunder to win the NBA Finals:

• $105,000 Thunder +160
• $100,000 Thunder +130

The first bet would profit $168,000 and the second $130,000 if the Thunder — now -700 favorites to win the championship — claim their first NBA title. That’s $298,000 potential profit, on a total payout of $503,000.

On the flip side, small bets that cash big are quite nice, as well. 

A FanDuel Sportsbook customer already learned that once with a $100 bet on Pacers +7000 to win the Eastern Conference, a wager made back on Feb. 20.

So that wager already cashed for $7,000 profit. At the same time, the bettor put $100 on Pacers +13000 (130/1) to win the NBA Finals.

If somehow the Pacers pull the big upset, that customer knocks down another $13,000 in profit. It’s hard not to root for a five-figure win on a $100 bet.

Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on X: @PatrickE_Vegas.

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