The Oklahoma City Thunder return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse Thursday night for their first meeting with the Indiana Pacers since capturing the 2025 NBA Championship in a thrilling seven-game Finals series. This cross-conference rematch carries emotional weight as both teams navigate significant early-season adversity, with lengthy injury reports testing their depth and resilience.
Thunder vs Pacers Betting Picks
The biggest storyline remains the absence of key stars. The Pacers will be without their floor general, Tyrese Haliburton, who is out for the entire 2025-2026 season with a torn Achilles suffered in the Finals. This places an immense offensive load on Pascal Siakam as Indiana seeks redemption against the defending champions.
The Thunder are also far from full strength, with superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading a depleted roster missing critical pieces like Jalen Williams (wrist) and Alex Caruso (concussion). With both squads looking to establish new identities amidst these setbacks, this Finals rematch presents an early test of championship mettle versus revenge motivation.
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Thunder vs Pacers Betting Odds
Before these two injury-depleted rosters renew their Finals rivalry, let’s examine the game information and latest betting lines for this highly anticipated rematch.
Date: October 23, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
TV: ESPN (National), FDSIN (Local), FDSOK (Local)
- Spread: Oklahoma City Thunder -7.5 (-105) / Indiana Pacers +7.5 (-115)
- Total: Over 230.5 (-115) / Under 230.5 (-105)
Betting odds courtesy of MGM.
Despite being on the road and missing key players, the Thunder enter this Finals rematch as significant 7.5-point favorites. This line suggests that oddsmakers view the Pacers’ loss of Haliburton as a more devastating blow compared to Oklahoma City’s injuries.
The game total has seen upward movement, opening at 228.5 before being bet up to 230.5, indicating that the market expects offensive fireworks even with several stars sidelined.
Statistical Breakdown: How the Teams Stack Up in This Finals Rematch
With the Pacers navigating life without their star point guard and the Thunder operating on limited data from their season opener, the early statistics reveal potential mismatches that could decide this revenge game.
Oklahoma City has shown a clear defensive identity: create chaos and run. In their championship banner-raising opener, they forced an impressive 22 turnovers, converting them into 16 fast-break points. Their aggressive defense generated 12 steals and held their opponent to just 2 fast break points while scoring 16 of their own. This pressure-heavy style will be the ultimate test for an Indiana team missing both Haliburton and backup T.J. McConnell. The offensive burden falls squarely on Siakam and Andrew Nembhard against a championship squad with a +4.1 net rating.
Offensively, the Thunder scored 125 points in their season opener but did so inefficiently, shooting a concerning 25% on 52 three-point attempts. Their advantage comes inside the paint, where they dominated with 50 points.
However, the Pacers may have found a decisive edge on the glass. Oklahoma City was outrebounded 52-38 in their opener, surrendering 16 offensive rebounds that led to 24 second-chance points. For Indiana to keep this Finals rematch competitive, Siakam and the frontcourt must dominate the boards against Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein to limit transition opportunities and create extra possessions.
Thunder vs Pacers Injury Report: Championship Stars Sidelined
Both teams enter this Finals rematch with extensive injury lists that will heavily influence rotations and revenge narratives. The absences of star players and key rotation pieces create significant uncertainty for both championship aspirations and immediate competitiveness.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are dealing with a catastrophic blow to their Finals rematch hopes, losing not only their franchise cornerstone for the entire season but also his primary backup.
- Tyrese Haliburton (G): Achilles (Out for Season)
- T.J. McConnell (G): Hamstring (Out)
- Kam Jones (G): Back (Out)
Impact: The loss of Haliburton, who suffered his season-ending injury during the Finals against these same Thunder, fundamentally alters Indiana’s offensive identity in this rematch. Compounding this devastating blow is the unavailability of McConnell, the steady veteran who would have been tasked with managing point guard duties against an Oklahoma City defense that forced 22 turnovers in its opener.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The defending champions’ depth is being severely tested, with eight players on the injury report, including several critical starters who contributed to their Finals victory.
- Jalen Williams (G-F): Wrist
- Alex Caruso (G): Concussion
- Isaiah Joe (G): Knee
- Kenrich Williams (G-F): Knee
- Nikola Topić (G): Groin
- Thomas Sorber (C): Knee (Out for Season)
- Questionable (Day To Day):
- Luguentz Dort (G): Ankle
- Cason Wallace (G): Knee
Impact: The Thunder will be without two starters in Williams and Caruso, both crucial contributors to their championship run. Williams’ absence removes a vital secondary scorer and playmaker, while Caruso’s concussion protocol depletes the team of a premier perimeter defender. If Lu Dort cannot play through his questionable status, Oklahoma City’s ability to pressure the ball will be significantly compromised against a Pacers team seeking Finals revenge.
Our Fearless Forecast: Why the Championship Thunder Still Own This Rivalry
Narrative: This Finals rematch is a battle of attrition, but one team’s injuries are far more crippling than the other’s. While the Thunder are missing key championship contributors in Williams and Caruso, they still have their Finals MVP candidate, Gilgeous-Alexander, to orchestrate the offense. The Pacers, meanwhile, are without their entire offensive engine – the same player whose injury helped swing the Finals momentum. The season-ending loss of Haliburton, compounded by McConnell’s absence, leaves Indiana without a true point guard against the very team that mastered creating turnover chaos in their championship run.
Oklahoma City’s defensive identity remains the decisive factor. They forced an astounding 22 turnovers in their banner-raising opener, a nightmare scenario for a Pacers team forced to rely on Siakam and Nembhard for primary ball-handling duties. Expect the Thunder’s championship-tested pressure to generate transition opportunities and prevent Indiana from finding any offensive rhythm in this revenge game. Even shorthanded, Oklahoma City has enough firepower with Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge to exploit a Pacers team still reeling from Finals heartbreak.
Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder -7.5 (-105)
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Narrative: While the Pacers’ offense remains a major question mark in this Finals rematch, one area where they can potentially exploit the defending champions is on the glass. The Thunder were dominated on the boards in their opener, getting outrebounded 52-38 and surrendering 16 offensive rebounds. For Indiana to have any hope of avenging their Finals loss, Siakam must be a force in the paint. With Haliburton sidelined and his usage rate set to skyrocket, Siakam will be heavily involved in every possession, especially crashing the boards against a Thunder team that showed vulnerability on the glass.
Player Prop Pick: Pascal Siakam Over 7.5 Rebounds (+100 at MGM)
