From MVP to Champion? SGA and the Thunder Eye the Crown

At the start of the 2024–25 NBA season—and even into the early rounds of the playoffs—scepticism surrounded the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Critics pointed to the team’s youth and questioned the credentials of newly minted MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Doubts were easy to find. But now, on the brink of the NBA Finals, that doubt has given way to something undeniable: the Thunder are not just a surprise—they might be historic.

Oklahoma City’s regular season was one for the record books. Their 68 wins tied them for the fourth-highest total in NBA history, alongside the 1972–73 Celtics and the 1966–67 Sixers. Even more impressively, they posted a record-setting +1,055 point differential—the highest ever. The dominance was so complete that if only their double-digit wins counted, they still would’ve topped the Western Conference.

The betting market reflects that disparity. The Thunder open as heavy -700 favourites to win the series*, while the Pacers sit at +510. Even with a 2.5-game handicap, the odds still favour OKC at -115, with Indiana at -105.

Framed as a coronation rather than a clash, the Finals also set the stage for another accolade for Gilgeous-Alexander. Fresh off regular season and Western Conference Finals MVP honours, he’s now a commanding -600 favourite to claim Finals MVP.

Should the NBA Finals play out as expected, with the Thunder winning their first championship, labels like “too inexperienced” and “foul merchant” would be replaced by the only label that matters: NBA Champions. 

Click here for all NBA Finals betting markets at BET99.

*Odds as of June 2, 2025.