by
Oklahoma City won its first-ever NBA Finals against Indiana. It took them the full seven games, but the Thunder were able to take down the Pacers behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a lucky break (Indiana losing Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles injury in the opening quarter).
Of course, the series had the eyes of NBA betting brass. Amazingly, the Thunder opened the series as -700 to win the championship. For folks a little less in the know on betting, that means they were huge favorites to win. A $700 bet on them would’ve only profited $100 at those odds.
Though, the lopsided odds were warranted. Thunder won a league-best 68 games. The NBA record is 73 games (the 2016 Warriors) so that’s the historical context. They also had the league’s best player, SGA, who won the MVP award.
Indiana fought them tooth and nail despite being longshots. Certainly, there were a number of Thunder bettors sweating the series. We scanned the country to find some of the biggest bets made on the Thunder. Keep on reading to see what we found!
Biggest Bet Ever?
As you may or may not know, you can’t just bet millions at most legal sports betting spots. Why? It’s too big of a liability for most top betting apps. Paying out that type of money is a risk most don’t want to take.
However, BetMGM is not one of those apps. They disclosed that one bettor in Ohio dropped an eye-popping $8 million on the Thunder to win the NBA Finals — at those steep -700 odds we mentioned. He made the bet right before Game 1 tipped off, and it’s believed to be one of the biggest bets ever.
It dwarfs some of the headline-grabbing bets from Mattress Mack, who’s known for dropping seven-figure sums on his hometown teams of Houston. Back in 2022, Mack famously wagered $3 million on the Astros to win the World Series at 10-1. That bet made $30 million.
This Ohio bettor didn’t even come close to making $30 million. Because of the high odds, the bettor only made $1.14 million. Yes, we used the word only because this is the ultimate high-risk, low-reward wager. We know that sounds crazy cause he made $1 million and change, but the bettor came dangerously close to losing it all. Remember, the Pacers were winning Game 7 at halftime. And imagine if Haliburton didn’t get hurt? This Ohio bettor could very well have been zeroed out.
But hey, a win is a win, and this fella just took hold $1 million. State and federal taxes are likely going to half that reward, but it’s still a good day at the office, all things considered.
Other Bets That Did And Did Not Win
Here’s another million-dollar bet: someone at MGM casino in Las Vegas put $1.05 million on the Thunder to win the finals at -700 odds before the Finals began. It cashed, and this bettor earned $150,000.
It’s said that Jay Z also put $1 million in the Thunder to win. But… his bet was that they’d win in 5 games exactly. Obviously, that didn’t happen so Jay “lost.”
We put lost in quotation marks because our gut says that the bet never really happened. You see, Jay Z supposedly placed the bet at Fanatics Sportsbook. Jay, ever the businessman, has an ownership stake with Fanatics. So more than likely, Jay’s bet was just a marketing stunt to advertise the sportsbook he has equity in. Go figure!
Thunder Could Run It Back
Sportsbooks are already looking ahead to the 2026 NBA Finals. As it stands, odds favor OKC to go back-to-back. The Thunder are +240 to win the title again, which is the best out of all 30 teams. It’s also the shortest preseason line we’ve seen since the 2018-19 Warriors, who were an incredible -168 favorites to win the title that season.
There’s a clear gap between the Thunder and other favorites. The Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks are sitting at +700 — the best odds among Eastern Conference teams. Over in the West, the Houston Rockets are the next-best team at +800.
The irony of all this betting talk is that most Oklahoma City fans can’t even bet on their own team. That’s because sports betting in Oklahoma remains banned. It’s one of only 11 states without a legal sports betting market.
Sports betting remains illegal in Oklahoma largely due to ongoing tension between the state government and tribal nations, who operate all the legalized casinos. Governor Kevin Stitt has pushed for broader betting access, including commercial operators (e.g. BetMGM or DraftKings), while tribes have resisted, citing exclusive gaming rights under existing compacts. The two sides haven’t struck a deal — and until they do, betting will remain off limits in the Sooner State.
So for now, Thunder fans can celebrate the title but still can’t legally bet on their team unless they cross state lines or use offshore sportsbooks. It’s a strange reality: bettors across the country are banking on the Thunder’s success, but hometown teams are left completely out.
Best Betting Sites 