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NBA Finals Series Odds: Do the Thunder deserve to still be favored after Game 3?

NBA Finals Series Odds: Do the Thunder deserve to still be favored after Game 3?

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By: Alex Hunter

After losing Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Indiana on Wednesday, the Thunder trail 1-2 in the best of seven. Still, Oklahoma City is a -220 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook to win the NBA Finals. While these odds are slightly dramatic and moving towards the Pacers after the club’s Game 3 win, the Thunder do still deserve to be the favorites for this series.

First off, Oklahoma City is the best team in the NBA after a loss and the oddsmakers are well aware of this, as the Thunder are currently a six-point favorite for Game 4. Oklahoma City is a league-best 18-2 following a loss this season and the club should even this series up at two wins apiece in Game 4, just like the Thunder did in the second round vs. the Nuggets. Exactly like these NBA Finals, Oklahoma City was down 1-2 heading into Game 4 on the road in that series against Denver, and the Thunder took care of business in that pivotal tilt with a five-point victory.

Not only do the Thunder have an elite tendency to adjust after a loss, but the club is simply a more complete team than Indiana. With Oklahoma City having home-court advantage for this series, the team only needs to win one road game and win the rest of its home games to become NBA Champions.

At 68-14, the Thunder finished with the seventh-best record in NBA history in the regular season and the team’s 12.87-point differential in the regular season is the greatest of all time. The Thunder are especially elite at home — truly one of the greatest teams of all time when competing in Oklahoma City. Through the playoffs, the Thunder own a ridiculous 44-8 record and a 16.5-point margin of victory.

So, yes, given the Thunder’s dominance at home and the team’s tremendous ways of rebounding after a loss, Oklahoma City absolutely still deserves to be favorited to win these NBA Finals.

Backing the Thunder at -220 to win this series on DraftKings Sportsbook is totally viable if you want to invest in the club, but instead of taking these very favored odds, betting on Oklahoma City to win this series in seven games at +170 is more appealing. It feels likely, as Indiana certainly could steal one more game before this series is over.

Alex Hunter
Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player and sports handicapper, who has been a proud member of the DraftKings Network team since 2020. He is a data-driven analyst, who earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has been in the sports content business for nearly a decade, covering the NBA, NFL and PGA TOUR. Alex is a diehard Boston Celtics fan, who loves to be on the golf course when he isn’t grinding lineups or producing content. For all of Alex’s work or if you need any lineup advice, be sure to follow him @Hunta512 on X.
Disclaimer

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.