The NBA Finals are set: the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Indiana Pacers. Both teams have had relatively easy runs to the Finals, with each team only losing four games. This can be due to the “power of friendship” that Myles Turner and Jalen Williams seem to agree on. Some of it may be that both teams have great, underrated players. The Thunder have one of the most outstanding defenses of all time, yet are just now getting recognition for it. With Game 1 in Oklahoma City, home-court advantage will be absolute in “Loud City.” That said, let’s look at the best prop bets for game one of the NBA Finals.
Thunder-Pacers Best Prop Bets For Game 1 of the Finals
*All Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers odds are courtesy of DraftKings as of Thursday morning.
Isaiah Hartenstein: Over 7.5 points (-125)
After a rough series offensively against the Timberwolves, Isaiah Hartenstein’s odds for points dropped. This should entice everyone looking to bet on his over on points, especially at these odds. The Pacers have one of the worst paint defenses in the playoffs, giving up 48.1 points in the paint per game. In this playoff, Hartenstein is averaging 9.2 points per game. His numbers plummeted after the Timberwolves series, though, only playing 19.8 minutes a night while averaging 6.8 points.
Against a Pacers defense that gives up points in the paint, Hartenstein could see a huge bounce-back game. Take the Nuggets series as an example. He averaged 11 points against another poor paint defense. Expect Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams to use Hartenstein on the pick-and-roll to generate some easy points for the big man. This could be a hunch, but this bet in the NBA Finals has insane value.
Tyrese Haliburton: Under 8.5 assists (+105)
Tyrese Haliburton struggled against the Thunder in the 2024-2025 NBA season. He averaged just 11 points and 5.5 assists. Haliburton will struggle all night to make passes, thanks to the Thunder’s versatility on defense. The Thunder live by playing physically and creating chaos on defense. Haliburton struggles when he feels pressure or is forced to be physical.
This will cause the Pacers to flow the game through someone else and hope Haliburton gets a few catch-and-shoot opportunities. For a playmaking guard going against some of the best perimeter defenders in the league, it will be a rough night for the playmaker. Thanks to his assist totals against the Knicks, this bet is just free money waiting to happen for anyone betting on the NBA Finals.
Alex Caruso: Over 1.5 steals (+100)
Alex Caruso will be used heavily during this series, just like he has been in every other one. The only way this line would not hit is if Caruso somehow gets injured. In every series, he has averaged over 1.5 steals. In the last game against the Timberwolves, he had four steals. This line is begging to be hit in Game 1 of the Finals.
Lu Dort could get into foul trouble, and Caruso will be the first off the bench. He will get the matchup of either Haliburton or Pascal Siakam. Whichever one it may be, the ball will be traveling between those two players. Caruso does a great job of jumping past lanes and will rack up a few deflections. Thanks to his hustle and effort in diving for loose balls, he will rack up steals. I expect him to finish with three steals, which is why he is one of my best bets for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Featured image: © Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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