The Indiana Pacers are the largest betting underdogs heading into the NBA Finals in seven seasons. Almost no one is giving the Pacers a chance to win their first NBA championship. And that includes nearly all of the IndyStar and The Oklahoman sports staffs.

Indiana’s Thomas Bryant got in one game of Denver’s 2023 finals win over Miami, and the Pacers’ Aaron Nesmith played for Boston in the Celtics’ loss to Golden State in the 2022 finals.

This is similar to: The 2016 Cavs, 2019 Raptors & 2023 Nuggets. Those three teams became first-time champions in the past nine seasons, including two with ties to the current Pacers. The 2019 Raptors featured Pascal Siakam, while the 2023 Nuggets included Thomas Bryant. The rest of the Indiana roster has yet to taste championship glory.