NBA Finals Game 1 Picks: Thursday (Pacers vs. Thunder)
The NBA Finals get underway on Thursday night, as the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder meet in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series, as both organizations vie for their first-ever world championship.
Tip-off at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. The game can be viewed or streamed on ABC.
Let’s keep building that bankroll for the stretch run with our best NBA bets for Thursday, June 5.
Best NBA Finals Game 1 Picks & Predictions
NBA odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All picks are for 1 unit
Indiana Pacers (+330) at Oklahoma City Thunder (-420) | O/U 230.5 (-110/-110)
The Pacers and the Thunder meet in Game 1, and both organizations are four victories away from winning their first-ever Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The Thunder swept the regular-season series, winning 120-114 in Indianapolis as a 5-point favorite as the Over (227.5) cashed, while topping the Pacers 132-111 as an 8-point favorite in the most recent meeting at Paycom Center on March 29 as the Over (234) connected.
OKC shot 51.1% (48-of-94) from the field in the most recent meeting with Indiana at home, while cashing in at a 47.2% (17-of-36) clip from behind the 3-point arc. The Thunder were also 82.6% (19-of-23) from the free-throw line, while posting 47 rebounds, good for a plus-4 margin in that department. The Thunder racked up nine total steals, while turning it over just 10 times. The Thunder also had 15 fast-break points, while registering 58 points in the paint in a dominant effort.
On the flip side, Indiana hit 44.8% (39-of-87) from the field, while going just 33.3% (14-of-42) from distasnce. They left some points on the floor at the charity stripe, too, going 73.1% (19-of-26). The Pacers had one more assist, going for 27 dimes in the loss, but they managed just six steals with six blocked shots and 13 turnovers, minus-3 in the latter. Indiana had just seven fast-break points, while totaling just 40 points in the paint.
Pascal Siakam was good for 11 points and nine rebounds in the loss at Oklahoma City, while Tyrese Haliburton was good for a team-best 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Andrew Nembhard was a solid tertiary scoring option with 16 points, while adding seven assists and five rebounds. Obi Toppin had 12 points off the bench, while Ben Sheppard and Jarace Walker added 10 points off the pine. All three players had two triples, too.
For OKC, NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander registered 33 points, including three triples, while going 10-of-12 from the free-throw line, and SGA added eight dimes with seven boards and a steal. Luguentz Dort was good for 22 points with six triples, and Isaiah Joe surprised with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, in 27 minutes off the bench. Branden Carlson stepped up with a pair of blocked shots, while adding four points and three boards in 13 minutes off the bench.
Looking to the spread, let’s take Indiana to keep it within single digits in Game 1. Oklahoma City swept the regular-season series, while covering both meetings, but confidence is sky-high for the Pacers after taking out the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks in the past two series.
As far as the total is concerned, the Under has a 3-2 edge in the past five playoff games for Indiana, while going 3-1 in the past four outings on the road.
For Oklahoma City, the Under cashed in their series-clinching win over Minnesota on May 28, but the Over is 5-2 in the past seven games for the Thunder. However, at home, the Under is 3-2 across the past five games, and the Under is 5-4 in nine playoff games at Paycom Center this season.
And, just for fun, let’s take a look at a couple of player props. Tyrese Haliburton To Score 15+ points (-230) is a good play. You would have to risk more than two times your potential return, so that’s not recommended to bet straight up, but it is perfectly fine as part of a multi-leg parlay. In fact, taking Haliburton on this prop, as well as Chet Holmgren (+115) to hit a double-double, along with Indiana +9.5 and Over 230.5 gives you a SGP of +669. Nice.
Picks: Pacers +9.5 (-112) & Over 230.5 Points (-110)
Props: Tyrese Haliburton 15+ Points (-230) & Chet Holmgren To Record a Double-Double (+115)