At last, the 2025 NBA Finals tip off tonight as the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Indiana Pacers at 8:30 p.m. ET at Paycom Center. The Thunder, fresh off a 68-14 regular season and a dominant playoff run led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander,

SportsLine expert Matt Severance reveals his NBA bets and predictions for Game 1 of Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals 2025

The Thunder are 9.5-point favorites to win Thursday night’s game (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) after opening as 8.5-point favorites. The line shifted a point in the Thunder’s favor despite Indiana getting 66% of bets and 63% of the money against the spread at BetMGM. Bettors are clearly counting on a 20-year trend to not go the Thunder's way.