The 2025 NBA Finals begin on Thursday with the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Indiana Pacers at the Paycom Center for Game 1. OKC advanced to the Finals after beating the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves, while Indiana punched its Finals ticket by knocking off the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks. The NBA DFS player pool has plenty of star power, with guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton leading the way.
SGA and Haliburton are the two highest-priced players on the slate, making it imperative for DFS players to find the top NBA DFS values when building NBA DFS lineups for Game 1. Who are the top DFS sleepers and which players should you fade for Game 1 of Pacers vs. Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals? Before making any NBA DFS picks for Game 1 on Thursday, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine’s Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a DFS and betting expert for SportsLine, who won a DraftKings Millionaire Maker contest in 2022. He uses a combination of his background as a former college and professional athlete and his keen eye for statistical trends when making his picks and locking in his DFS lineups. Kaylor enters the 2024 calendar year with multiple five-figure tournament cashes on his DFS resume.
Kaylor’s approach allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he only shares on SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
Kaylor has turned his attention to Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for NBA Finals Game 1 on June 5
For Thursday, one of Kaylor’s top NBA DFS picks is Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is listed at $11,000 on DraftKings and $13,600 on FanDuel. Haliburton has been outstanding throughout the NBA Playoffs and is a consistent threat to post double-double stat lines. The former Iowa State standout was the best player on the floor in the Pacer’s Eastern Conference Finals series against the New York Knicks, and enters Game 1 of the NBA Finals averaging 18.8 points and 9.8 assists per game during the playoffs.
Another part of Kaylor’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering OKC power forward Chet Holmgren ($8,800 on DraftKings and $9,400 on FanDuel). Holmgren fits the mold of the modern day big man who can stretch the floor, play in the paint, and make outside jumpshots. Holmgren plays in a supporting role in OKC’s offense, but is a consistent double-double threat in every game he plays. See Kaylor’s other NBA DFS picks here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Game 1 on Thursday, June 5
Kaylor is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Thursday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
Who is DFS pro Jimmie Kaylor putting in his optimal NBA DFS lineups for Game 1 on Thursday? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NBA DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who has won a Millionaire Maker tournament, and find out.
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