Pre-series odds list defending champion Thunder as favorites for West finals

Azcentral and Yahoo Sports published Western Conference finals previews on May 16 that listed the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder as the pre-series favorite against the San Antonio Spurs. The matchup pairs the West's No. 1 and No. 2 seeds and opens on May 18. NBA.com lists Oklahoma City as the home team for Game 1, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The pre-series framing was consistent across the early coverage: Oklahoma City was treated as the team to beat before a game had been played. That reflected both the Thunder's status as defending NBA champion and the home-court edge that comes with the top seed. The Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama, entered the series as the challenger despite advancing to the conference finals as the West's No. 2 seed. (azcentral.com) ### Which outlets put Oklahoma City in front before the series began? Azcentral on May 16 published a picks and predictions roundup for Thunder-Spurs and asked who would win the series and advance. The article framed Oklahoma City as the likely West representative in the NBA Finals in its pre-series odds and prediction coverage. (azcentral.com) Yahoo Sports also published a Spurs-Thunder preview on May 16 before the opener. That article focused on San Antonio's path to an upset, but it did so against the backdrop of Oklahoma City entering the series as the defending champion and the side expected to come out of the West. ### What made Oklahoma City the favorite in those previews? (azcentral.com) Oklahoma City entered the series as the reigning NBA champion, a status noted in the pre-series coverage and on NBA.com. The Thunder also held the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference bracket, which gave them home-court advantage against San Antonio. (sports.yahoo.com) NBA.com's playoff page listed the series as Thunder (1) versus Spurs (2). The same page identified Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as Oklahoma City's statistical leader entering the matchup at 29.1 points and 7.1 assists per game, while Wembanyama led San Antonio at 20.3 points and 10.7 rebounds. ### What was the specific betting and schedule setup before Game 1? (azcentral.com) USA Today published conference finals odds coverage on May 16 as the round began on May 18. Separate USA Today coverage that same day listed Game 1 betting lines for San Antonio at Oklahoma City, underscoring that sportsbooks had already posted prices for the opener before the teams took the floor. (nba.com) NBA.com listed a full best-of-seven schedule beginning May 18, followed by May 20, May 22 and May 24, with Games 5 through 7 set for May 26, May 28 and May 30 if necessary. The opener is in Oklahoma City, not San Antonio, because the Thunder hold home-court advantage as the higher seed. ### Who are the central figures in the matchup? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Oklahoma City into the series after another run to the conference finals. (usatoday.com) NBA.com listed him as the Thunder's leading scorer and assist man entering the matchup. Victor Wembanyama is the Spurs' marquee figure, and Yahoo Sports centered part of its preview on San Antonio's chances of unseating the champion. (nba.com) NBA.com listed Wembanyama as San Antonio's leader in points and rebounds entering Game 1. ### When does the series start, and where can viewers follow it? Game 1 is scheduled for Monday, May 18, at 8:30 p.m. (nba.com) ET in Oklahoma City, according to NBA.com. The league's playoff page lists NBC and Peacock as the broadcast outlets for the opener. The remaining schedule is already set on the NBA playoff bracket, with Game 2 on May 20 and the series shifting to San Antonio for Game 3 on May 22. (sports.yahoo.com) If the matchup goes the distance, Game 7 is scheduled for May 30 in Oklahoma City. (nba.com)