This NBA Finals article is brought to you by neds.
We arrive at the 2025 NBA Finals with the seemingly inevitable Oklahoma City Thunder facing the unlikely Indiana Pacers, in a battle that might officially represent the end of the super-team era.
Following from the recent success of the Boston Celtics, this year’s finalists again show that teams built on depth have a better chance of surviving the grueling NBA schedule than the those that are still running with the “two or three stars plus salary cap filler” strategy of old.
Let’s look at the chances for both teams coming into Friday’s Game 1:
OKC THUNDER
The youngest team in the league with the best record, the newly crowned MVP and a boatload of draft picks over at least the next five years. If OKC manage to get the job done this year, then it’s not hard to imagine that they might be at the start of a new dynasty.
Fresh from disposing of Minnesota in five games to take the Western Conference, it would appear that complacency will be the only thing capable of stopping this powerhouse from its first ever NBA title.
SGA’s relentless scoring coupled with the rise of Jalen Williams throughout these Playoffs gives OKC a classic one-two combo, but it’s the quality of depth down through the likes of Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein and role players Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe that beats opponents into submission. An outrageous +24.6 point differential in home games during these playoffs makes it seem like homecourt advantage alone might be enough for the Thunder to get the job done.
INDIANA PACERS
The Pacers fairytale continues! From 4th place in the East to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000, Indiana has seen off Milwaukee (4-1), Cleveland (4-1) and New York (4-2) in a run that’s seen some of the most memorable comebacks in Playoff history. Considering they were actually a below .500 team as recently as January, this current run of form now almost extends back six months in total.
Perhaps even more so than OKC, the Pacers can hurt you in multiple ways on the offensive end with six players averaging more than 10 ppg during this playoff run (Thunder have three players averaging 10+). While they’ve been able to outgun opponents so far, it’s defensively that they will need to find a way to slow OKC down as their 113.3 points against per game ranks 13th amongst the 16 post-season teams this year.
One of these 2025 Finalists is going to walk away with their first ever NBA Championship, and while it’s hard to find anything concrete to make you think this will be anything other than a Thunder series, the Pacers have already shown more than once during these Playoffs that results aren’t always won on paper.
Odds – Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers – Series Odds
$1.15 – OKC / $5.75 – IND
*Prices correct as of 11:30 AEST 04/06/25 and subject to change
