The Indiana Pacers took Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, 116-107. Oddsmakers at Sportsbook still have the Eastern Conference champions as the betting underdogs to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy despite holding a 2-1 series lead.
Game 4 takes place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, June 13.
2025 NBA Finals odds
| Teams | Odds |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | -750 |
| Indiana Pacers | +550 |
Odds as of May 31st, 2025 22:12pm EDT. |
2025 NBA Finals Odds Underdog: Indiana Pacers
History would suggest that the Pacers are in the driver's seat holding a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with the best team in basketball. The last 41 times in the Finals when it was locked at 1-1, the winner of Game 3 went on to capture the title 33 times, which equates to an 80.5-percent clip.
Per Keerthika Uthayakumar, across these last three games, Indiana has only led on the scoreboard 10.7-percent of game time or 20.6 minutes in total. It's also just the third team with a No. 4 seed or lower to ever have a 2-1 Finals lead after three games, and the first since the 1995 Houston Rockets who went on to win as the No. 6 seed.
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NBA Finals Betting Handle & Data
Our friends over at BetMGM have provided us with their betting handles for the NBA Finals. The largest line movement from the opening line last year has been the Thunder which began the season with +950 odds and are now favored at +100.
Most Bet Teams (Total Bets)
- Los Angeles Lakers (13.3%)
- Boston Celtics (12.8%)
- Denver Nuggets (11.3%)
Most Bet Teams (Total Money)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (21.5%)
- Boston Celtics (15.9%)
- Los Angeles Lakers (12.0%)
Biggest Liabilities
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Golden State Warriors
NBA Finals Betting Strategy
Much of what formulates odds for NBA title contenders obviously stems from regular-season success. However, once the postseason comes and goes, how far a team advances can greatly impact the championship odds heading into next year before free agency and the draft gets underway.
What Impacts NBA Finals Odds?
- Winning and losing streaks
- Injuries to key players
- Seeding in the standings
- Win-loss records against specific opponents
- Postseason success
How To Bet On NBA Futures
An NBA futures bet tends to revolve around the outcomes of both the regular season and playoffs as opposed to specific games the day of.
Here are some examples of some of the more popular futures bets:
- Which team will win the NBA Championship?
- Which player will win the Most Valuable Player award?
- Will Team X qualify for the NBA playoffs?
Last 10 NBA Finals Winners
| Year | Winning Team | Preseason Odds To Win Title | Opponent In Finals | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Boston Celtics | +350 | Dallas Mavericks | 4-1 |
| 2023 | Denver Nuggets | +1800 | Miami Heat | 4-1 |
| 2022 | Golden State Warriors | +900 | Boston Celtics | 4-2 |
| 2021 | Milwaukee Bucks | +550 | Phoenix Suns | 4-2 |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Lakers | +450 | Miami Heat | 4-2 |
| 2019 | Toronto Raptors | +1850 | Golden State Warriors | 4-2 |
| 2018 | Golden State Warriors | -187 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-0 |
| 2017 | Golden State Warriors | -128 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-1 |
| 2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers | +280 | Golden State Warriors | 4-3 |
| 2015 | Golden State Warriors | +2800 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-2 |
The Celtics' win in 2024 marked the sixth-different champion in as many years, a feat which hadn't been accomplished by the league since 1975-80.
The last team to win consecutive championships was the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. That capped off a 10-year run in which only five different teams (Warriors, Lakers, Mavericks, Cavaliers, and Spurs) won a title.
NBA Teams With The Most Championships
| Team | NBA Titles | NBA Finals Appearances | Most Recent NBA Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 18 | 23 | 2024 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 17 | 32 | 2020 |
| Golden State Warriors | 7 | 12 | 2022 |
| Chicago Bulls | 6 | 6 | 1998 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 5 | 6 | 2014 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 3 | 9 | 1983 |
| Detroit Pistons | 3 | 7 | 2004 |
| Miami Heat | 3 | 6 | 2013 |
| New York Knicks | 2 | 8 | 1973 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 2 | 3 | 2021 |
Boston's 2024 win moved it past the Los Angeles Lakers for the most championship wins by a single franchise in league history.
The Bulls are the most efficient, sweeping six titles during the 1990s, and the Warriors have the most recent title wins, with four in the last ten years.
NBA Teams That Have Never Appeared In A Finals
| Team | Number Of Seasons | Furthest Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Clippers | 49 | Western Conference Final (2021) |
| Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats | 30 | Eastern Conference Semifinals (1993, 1998, 2001, 2002) |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 29 | Western Conference Final (2004) |
| Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies | 23 | Western Conference Final (2013) |
| New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans | 17 | Western Conference Semifinals (2008, 2018) |
What a sad, sad list of teams. If you’re a fan of these squads, apologies in advance — your team (probably) isn’t breaking the curse this year. Never say never though! The Clippers and Pelicans have made exciting runs recently, we’re all rooting for them to make it eventually.
NBA Finals Odds Trends
- Four of the last six NBA Finals have been decided in six games.
- In the last 21 years, the Western Conference is 12-9 in NBA Finals.
- Also over the past 21 years, the No. 1 seed has won the championship 13 times. Those are solid odds.
- The lowest-seeded team to win the NBA Finals in recent history was the sixth-seed 1995 Houston Rockets.
- Since 2010, the top team in the regular season has won the championship five times.
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