The biggest favorites in NBA Finals history were the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers, who were -2000 against the Philadelphia 76ers and won the series in five games. The 2018 champion Golden State Warriors were the second biggest of all time as -1075 favorites over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The NBA Finals were supposed to be a walkover. The Indiana Pacers were staggering +700 underdogs. The only team ever to win the Finals with those odds were the 2004 Detroit Pistons. The Oklahoma City Thunder,

After a lengthy layoff between rounds, the NBA Finals begin on Thursday. It will feature the upstart Indiana Pacers taking on the juggernaut Oklahoma City Thunder. These two teams have taken very different paths to get here.