Why sportsbooks are rooting for the Thunder this NBA Finals

“The Thunder Rolls” = the wishful NBA Finals anthem being played at sportsbooks everywhere. As the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder prepare to take the court to compete for a league championship, casinos and betting platforms are pulling hard for OKC to come out with a victory.

Big OKC tha plug

This is because the Thunder’s odds of winning were not really long enough at any point in the season to warrant a major liability for sportsbooks, while bets on Indiana carry much better odds (and bigger potential payouts). 

BetMGM has "a couple" of Pacers futures wagers with a chance to win six figures at 125-1 odds, with others that can win smaller amounts at 150-1 odds.

• When it comes to the Finals matchup, the Thunder are a lopsided favorite, at -700 vs. +500.
• Likely due to the larger potential payout, 92% of bets and 91% of total dollars have been wagered so far on the Pacers to win the ‘ship. And if Indiana pulls off a series victory, it would be the biggest NBA Finals upset since 2004, when the Detroit Pistons (+500) beat the LA Lakers in five games.

Looking ahead…Game 1 tips tonight at 7:30 CT, with one big question on the minds of sports execs and broadcasters—will people actually tune in to watch this smaller-market matchup?

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