Pacers vs. Thunder Stars to Watch, Player Prop Series Bets for NBA Finals
The 2025 NBA Finals tip off on Thursday night, and this big stage showcases some of the best players in the NBA, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton. Mark Harris ranks the top 10 players in the NBA Finals and adds his favorite full series player prop bets ahead of Game 1.
Mark Harris - June 5, 2025, 3:00 PM EDT
5 Minute ReadPacers vs. Thunder Stars to Watch, Player Prop Series Bets for NBA Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals on Thursday night ... just like we all predicted!
Casuals will bring up television ratings concerns or complain about non-traditional markets on the big stage, but real basketball fans know these teams earned the opportunity to hoist a Larry O'Brien trophy.
OKC was dominant from the first game of the regular season throughout the playoffs, and enters the NBA Finals with 80 wins under its belt. Four more, and the Thunder join the likes of the late '90s Chicago Bulls and 2016 Golden State Warriors for the most wins in a season.
As a different Larry would say, pretty, pretty good.
While OKC was not expected to be *this* dominant, it entered the season with the fifth-best odds to win the title at +900. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was already on the radar after two First Team All-NBA selections and leading the Thunder to the top seed in the Western conference in 2024, so OKC's success isn't completely out of the blue. Electric blue, that is.
Indiana, meanwhile, came out of nowhere. Sure, the Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals last year, but if you thought they were primed to win the Eastern Conference the following season, well, I hope you got them at +2500 to win the East in October because you'd be sitting on a nice payout right about now!
Nobody outside of Indiana thought the Pacers would be able to make it out of the East, yet they cruised through the playoffs. Even though Indiana was on the good end of some fortunate moments, its trip to the NBA Finals hardly feels like a fluke.
With only these Central Time outposts remaining, the Thunder are massive -650 series favorites and the Pacers are +500 underdogs. SGA enters the NBA Finals as the best player on the court, but where do his teammates and the Pacers players rank compared to one another?
My ranking of the top 10 players in the NBA Finals:
Get your first month of oddschecker+ right now for just $0.99. Don't miss out on this NBA Playoffs deal!
Pacers vs. Thunder Series Odds
Pacers vs. Thunder Top 10 Players for NBA Finals
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The MVP and scoring champ headlines my list. Whether it's driving to the rim, draining mid-range shots, or cashing in from the free throw line, SGA has a knack for scoring. He just averaged 29.8 points per game through the first three rounds of the postseason, culminating in a 40-point, 10-assist display over the Minnesota Timberwolves in a crucial Game 4 win in the Western Conference Finals.
SGA is the tip of the spear for an elite OKC team, and I don't expect any real drop-off in the NBA Finals.
- Finals Bet: Under 33.5 points per game -120 Click here for complete Pacers vs. Thunder series props
For as well as SGA is playing, averaging more than 33.5 points per game is a very difficult task. Just one game of him scoring 25 or fewer points, and the over is toast. SGA may average in the low 30s PPG, but 33.5 is too much to expect.
2. Tyrese Haliburton
Haliburton burst onto the scene more than anyone else in the NBA playoffs. Die-hard NBA fans knew who about Haliburton's talents, but him leading Indiana's run to the Finals really put him on the map.
It all starts with him orchestrating the Pacers offense. He regularly generates good shots for his teammates and smartly picks his spots to score, doing it all with almost no turnovers. More importantly, it feels like he is always in control for the fast-paced Pacers.
- Finals Bet: Under 9.5 assists per game -166 Click here for complete Pacers vs. Thunder series props
Despite leading all players in the playoffs with 9.8 assists per game, I think Haliburton's assist totals fall a bit against the Thunder due to their excellent defense. There won't be as many clear passing lanes, Indiana's 3-point shooters will face better close-outs, there are no bad defenders to pick on (KAT and Jalen Brunson, for example), and OKC will block some would-be assists.
3. Pascal Siakam
How about an appreciation for Pascal Siakam? The versatile power forward had 30 points in three of the six Eastern Conference Finals games on his way to winning ECF MVP, and his championship experience from the 2019 Toronto Raptors is proving to be vital for the Pacers outside the box score.
There's no way Indiana gets this far without Siakam scoring 21.1 PPG on 53.7% this postseason. He's also played good defense and stretched the floor by shooting 46.3% from deep in this playoff run.
- Finals Bet: Over 5.5 rebounds per game -136 Click here for complete Pacers vs. Thunder series props
After hauling in 5.8 rebounds per game in this playoffs, it is fair to expect Siakam to finish the Finals with more than 5.5 boards a night. He'll get plenty of playing time, and Myles Turner doesn't get enough rebounds to steal opportunities.
4. Jalen Williams
Every NBA title contender needs a high-level second star, and Williams has occupied that role perfectly for the Thunder. His 20.4 playoff PPG is third among all players remaining, and he's more than just a scorer, because he brings great defense and is recording 5.8 RPG, 5.3 APG, and 1.6 steals per game this postseason. The 24-year-old Williams would be the best player on many NBA teams.
- Finals Bet: Over 22.5 points per game +100 Click here for complete Pacers vs. Thunder series props
Williams struggled against the Denver Nuggets, but aside from that series, he's hovered around 20 PPG this postseason. He should have even more confidence after a great Western Conference Finals, so it wouldn't be crazy for him to bump up his scoring to roughly 23 PPG in the Finals.
5. Chet Holmgren
Holmgren's defensive presence ties the bow on the Thunder's ferocious defense. His elite rim protection paired with his effective perimeter defense limits opposing players at every turn. Add in 16.8 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game, and he's the perfect sidekick for SGA and Williams.
- Finals Bet: Most total rebounds -145 Click here for complete Pacers vs. Thunder series props
The only other realistic player to finish the Finals with the most rebounds is Isaiah Hartenstein, and he plays 5.7 fewer minutes than Holmgren. Barring injury, Holmgren will grab the most rebounds in this series.
6. Alex Caruso
I ranked Caruso as the 10th best player among the conference finals teams, and I stand by my ranking! Either Caruso or Luguentz Dort is the best defensive guard on either of these teams, and his 41.5% 3-point shooting has been so valuable for OKC off the bench. The Thunder probably don't beat the Nuggets without some of his 3-pointers in Game 4 and Game 5 of that series.
- Finals Bet: Over 1.5 steals in Game 1 +100 Click here for complete Pacers vs. Thunder series props
Caruso leads OKC with 1.8 steals in the playoffs, so it's not hard to imagine him getting two steals on Thursday night.
7. Aaron Nesmith
Nesmith is the ideal forward to pair with Haliburton. He can light it up from long range (50% from deep in playoffs), and he's also a solid defender.
- Finals Bet: Most Total Made 3s +390 Click here for complete Pacers vs. Thunder series props
This is more of a long-shot bet, but considering SGA isn't a great 3-point shooter and Haliburton can be streaky, it's a worthy wager.
8. Luguentz Dort
Dort is an absolute menace of a defensive guard for OKC. The first-team All-Defense guard resembles an NFL linebacker at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, making it almost impossible to move him off his spot. Moreover, his 3-point shooting is good enough to keep defenses honest on the perimeter.
- Finals Bet: Under 9.5 points in Game 1 -120 Click here for complete Pacers vs. Thunder series props
Dort is only averaging 7.8 points per game this playoffs, and I would continue to ride that trend and expect him to stay in single figures in Game 1.
9. Myles Turner
A decade with the Pacers has finally rewarded Turner with a trip to the NBA Finals. He's survived trade rumors and played through some mediocre basketball, and now, he's playing for a championship for the team that drafted him.
Turner has been a solid contributor to Indiana's rise, leading all players on both teams with 2.3 blocks per game in the playoffs while scoring 15.2 PPG.
- Finals Bet: Under 13.5 points in Game 1 -110 Click here for complete Pacers vs. Thunder series props
I think Turner's scoring will fall off just a bit when dealing with OKC's unforgiving interior defense.
10. Isaiah Hartenstein
Rounding out the top 10 is Hartenstein, who gives the Thunder's interior defense the extra beef it didn't have last year. There just isn't much room to operate with him and Holmgren patrolling the middle. Hartenstein is averaging 9.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in the 2025 playoffs
- Finals Bet: 8+ rebounds in Game 1 +115 Click here for complete Pacers vs. Thunder series props
Hartenstein has grabbed at least eight rebounds in eight of 16 playoff games so far this year, and I don't see why he can't do that again on Thursday. He should have good chances against an Indiana team that doesn't have anyone who is even averaging six rebounds per game this postseason.
Honorable Mentions: Andrew Nembhard, Cason Wallace, Bennedict Mathurin
NBA ODDS
Affiliate Disclosure.
We are not a gambling or betting operator, but we receive a commission from these companies when we advertise their brands and refer customers to them (affiliate marketing). We provide information, odds information and links to websites of these companies. Some of the information made available on our site may be positioned as a result of a commission paid to us by a third party. We do not take or place bets/transactions and any information on Our Products is provided for entertainment purposes only.
