Pacers NBA Finals Betting Preview: Odds, Key Players & Expert Breakdown vs. Thunder

The Pacers are being overlooked to win the NBA Finals, and we're breaking down their keys to pulling off the improbable.

Gabe Henderson

Last updated: June 5, 2025 11:59 AM EDT • 5 min read

Pacers NBA Finals Odds & Preview: Key Players, Team Stats & Expert Analysis — Pictured: Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23), forward Pascal Siakam (43), and center Thomas Bryant (3) react after a play against the New York Knicks. Photo by Trevor Ruszkowski via Imagn Images.

The Indiana Pacers return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. Our Indiana Pacers team preview analyzes the franchise searching for its first Larry O'Brien Trophy ahead of its highly anticipated matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

We will highlight the team, present the odds, break down the stats, and recap its journey to the NBA Finals before Game 1 tips off tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Read to the end for our best Pacers bet ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

📊 Pacers odds to win the NBA Finals

Our 2025 NBA finals odds update in real time based on the odds from our best sports betting sites.

🏀 Pacers NBA Finals preview

Our Indiana preview features key stats - both from the regular and postseason - along with a breakdown of strengths and weaknesses and a spotlight on the team's key players. We're also breaking down how the Pacers got to the NBA Finals before providing a best bet for the season's final series.

🔢 Pacers key stats

All advanced and traditional statistics from NBA.com.

Statistic	Regular season	Postseason
Offensive rating	115.4 (9th)	117.7 (2nd)
Defensive rating	113.3 (T-13th)	113.6 (9th)
Net rating	2.1 (13th)	4.1 (4th)
Points per game	117.4 (7th)	117.4 (2nd)
Assists per game	29.2 (3rd)	28.1 (1st)
Rebounds per game	41.8 (28th)	36.9 (13th)
Field-goal percentage	48.8% (3rd)	49.7% (1st)
3-point percentage	36.8% (9th)	40.1% (1st)
Turnovers per game	13.2 (T-3rd)	12.7 (5th)
Opponent points per game	115.1 (17th)	113.3 (13th)
Blocks per game	5.5 (6th)	5.6 (T-4th)
Steals per game	8.5 (9th)	7.5 (8th)

💪 Pacers strengths & weaknesses

✅ Efficiency: The Pacers are efficiency personified. They lead the league in both field goal and 3-point percentage in the postseason thus far, as well as assists per game. Tyrese Haliburton is the main reason for this as an elite distributor who takes care of the ball at unmatched levels. Indiana plays clean basketball, plain and simple.

✅ Pace: The Pacers not only play efficiently, but they're also one of the Association's fastest teams. Indiana's pace rating (98.44) ranks third in the NBA playoffs field, the highest in the East. While Oklahoma City has blitzed the West with its blistering pace, the Thunder will play right into the Pacers' hands with this high-tempo style.

✅ Transition: To say Indiana thrives in transition would be an understatement. The Pacers score at an unmatched 60.7% clip in transition and have an incredible 71.6% effective field goal percentage. Despite ranking fourth in field goal attempts in these scenarios, Indiana has scored the most points per game (25.8) in transition during the postseason.

❌ Defense: The Pacers have been a middle-of-the-pack defensive team all season. They've slipped into the bottom half in key defensive metrics during the postseason, such as defensive rating and opponent points per game. This could ultimately be the demise of Rick Carlisle's team with an all-time great defense opposing Indiana in the finals.

❌ Rebounding: The Pacers were the third-worst rebounding team throughout the regular season, and not much has changed in the playoffs. Indiana is winning despite grabbing boards, which is a positive sign given Oklahoma City is almost guaranteed to out-rebound the Pacers in this series, as well. Will this begin to matter against a stubborn defense, though?

⛹️‍♂️ Pacers key players

Tyrese Haliburton (PG): Earlier this season, The Athletic published an anonymous player poll that dubbed Haliburton the league's most overrated player. The Pacers' point guard has responded by averaging 18.8 points, 9.8 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game en route to the Finals. He's Indiana's betting favorite to win NBA Finals MVP (+750 via DraftKings).
Pascal Siakam (PF): Siakam blitzed the Knicks for 30-plus points in three games in the Eastern Conference Finals. He's stepped up as the Pacers' elite No. 2 option recently, contributing at both ends of the floor. He's +2000 at FanDuel to win NBA Finals MVP, a great value considering he won the equivalent award last series.
Myles Turner (C): Turner's contributions have been enough to successfully navigate the East, but he'll need to be aggressive against OKC - specifically on the glass - to give his team a chance. Turner will be competing with two 7-footers down low, so he needs to play his part at both ends. He's +36000 to win Finals MVP at our best sports betting apps.

👉 Check out our NBA Finals MVP odds for a full list of betting lines for each player

📈 Pacers path to the NBA Finals

Regular season: 50-32 (No. 4 seed in the East)
First round: 4-1 series win vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Eastern Conference semifinals: 4-1 series win vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Eastern Conference finals: 4-2 series win vs. New York Knicks

🏆 Best Pacers bet for the NBA Finals

Indiana has already had two cracks at Oklahoma City this season. The Pacers lost both games, with the Thunder defeating them by an average of 13.5 points per game. Oddsmakers don't expect much to change either. Carlisle's cast is +550 at our best sportsbooks to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy, implying a 15.38% probability of winning the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City to win the series in four games or five games are the likeliest outcomes, according to the books. Unfortunately, this means Indiana +3.5 on the series spread is heavily juiced. Thus, if you like the Pacers, it's worth taking a gamble and hoping they can stretch this series to six games at plus-money odds offered by DraftKings.

✅ Best bet: Pacers +2.5 series spread (+120 via DraftKings)

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🗓️ 2025 NBA Finals schedule: Pacers vs. Thunder

Game 1: Thursday, June 5 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Game 2: Sunday, June 8 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City (8 p.m. ET, ABC)
Game 3: Wednesday, June 11 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Game 4: Friday, June 13 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Game 5: Monday, June 16 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)*
Game 6: Thursday, June 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)*
Game 7: Sunday, June 22 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City (8 p.m. ET, ABC)*

* if necessary

💡 More NBA Finals expert picks & analysis

💵 Best NBA Finals betting sites

Want to bet on the NBA Finals? Check out the best NBA betting sites and best sportsbook promos for Pacers vs. Thunder:

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Written By:
Gabe Henderson

Gabe Henderson is a sports betting writer from Houston, Texas. He graduated from Louisiana State University in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication. Gabe developed an interest in sports betting while in college due to its legalization in Louisiana. He turned his passion into a career shortly after, joining The Advocate/NOLA.com as a Sports Betting Content Coordinator, where he spent two years. Gabe wore many hats before graduating as he led FanSided's coverage of Chelsea FC as a Site Expert with "The Pride of London." He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the LSU Gumbo Yearbook for two years. Gabe became a part of the SportsbookReview.com team in late 2024. He brings with him an extensive knowledge of many sports, including — but not limited to — NFL, NCAA, MLB, NBA, soccer, and UFC.