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It's been a long wait, but the NBA Finals are finally here, with Game 1 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers tipping off on Thursday night. The Thunder were the top seed in the Western Conference, led by regular season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. After averaging a career-high 32.7 points per game in the regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander's scoring average has been 29.8 during the playoffs. The No. 4-seeded Pacers beat the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks and No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers in five games apiece before taking care of the No. 3 New York Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Indiana entered the NBA playoffs with +8000 odds to win the championship. 

Here's a look at the best picks and player props for Game 1 from SportsLine's model, along with how those interested in NBA betting can use the latest DraftKings promo code to place bets for Thursday's matchup. DraftKings is offering new users $300 in bonus bets if their first wager of at least $5 wins.

Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC

SportsLine Projection Model's top picks

(Same-game parlay odds: +547)

The Pacers have gone 6-2 on the road in the playoffs, but their two defeats have each come by at least 16 points. Meanwhile, the Thunder have secured double-digit wins in seven of their nine home games this postseason. The model likes the Thunder to continue their dominance in Oklahoma City, as it has them covering the 9.5-point spread in 67% of simulations.

There are several player props rated at 3.5 stars (out of 5 stars), including Mathurin Over 7.5 points and Haliburton Over 8.5 assists. Mathurin is projected for 8.8 points in Game 1, while Haliburton has been calculated for 9.8 assists. In his past 10 games facing a top-10 defense, Haliburton has averaged 11.2 assists and has gone over this line eight times. Mathurin has had success facing top-10 defenses when the Pacers have been underdogs, averaging 16.6 points in the last 21 instances of that occurring. 

The Thunder are 9.5-point favorites in the latest SportsLine consensus odds and are listed at -427 (wager $427 to win $100) on the money line. The Pacers are +330 (wager $100 to win $330) to take Game 1, and the total comes in at 231. You can see the model's latest projections, along with expert picks for Pacers-Thunder Game 1, at SportsLine.

Today's featured promo

New DraftKings Sportsbook users can get $300 in bonus bets if their first bet of $5 wins. The minimum odds for the qualifying wager are -500. Users will receive bonus bets in the form of 12 $25 bet tokens, which will be issued within 72 hours of the initial wager settling, and they expire in seven days. If you win a bet using bonus funds, you will receive the winnings back but not the stake funded by bonus bets.