Indiana Pacers vs. OKC Thunder Game 6 (OKC Leads Series 3-2) - Best Bets & Betting Odds
All odds provided by Sports Interaction.
Pacers vs. Thunder Player Prop Best Bet
Going into this series, Tyrese Haliburton had the shortest odds to finish it with the most three-pointers made. Through the first three games, he looked like he’d make good on those favorite odds, with nine total. However, he has made just one three-point shot in the last two games, going a combined 1-for-11 from long range.
We’re not sure he’ll be able to extend this series, but Haliburton is not going to go quietly. He’s going to go out swinging. And that means a lot of long distance attempts. We’re expecting a big first quarter from the Thunder on Thursday night, so Indiana will need Haliburton’s shooting to key their patented comeback effort.
Haliburton is a bonafide NBA star, no matter what anyone thinks. And he has shown an ability to bounce back like one as well. Prior to the Finals, he had scored fewer than two triples in four games during this postseason. In the following contests, he had 3, 1, 6, and 2 three-point makes.
The Pacers PG had failed to hit 2+ triples in back-to-back games just once all regular season. In fact, he averaged 3.7 triples in those matchups following cold shooting nights. Clearly, we’re on the right track here, as the over on his 1.5 three-pointers is way up at -180 on most betting apps. You could push it and take him to hit 3+ at +165 odds, but we’ll play it safe here and take the original prop.
Best Bets: Tyrese Haliburton Over 1.5 Threes Made (-180)
Pacers vs. Thunder Game Betting Picks
Despite the fact that they won two of the first three games of these NBA Finals, it never really felt like the Indiana Pacers were in control of this series. They’d won on another last second shot in Game 1, and in their Game 3 win, they needed yet another fourth-quarter comeback to pull off the victory. Those wins are exhilarating and memorable, but they can take a toll on a team.
Comeback wins like that also show that the team making the comeback can get dominated by the opponent. That didn’t seem to matter in the previous three series, but there’s a reason the Thunder are the best team in the league. Not only do they not make many mistakes, but when they do, they rectify them quickly.
Another thing that makes the Thunder tough to come back on is the fact that they don’t turn the ball over often, and they force their opponent to commit a lot of turnovers. They were number one in turnovers forced per game in both the regular and postseason, and ditto for fewest turnovers per game in both the regular and postseason (among teams that advanced past the first round).
Magic and heart can only get you so far in the NBA playoffs. Apparently all the way to the NBA Finals. But in the end, you also need that true quality and star power, and that’s where the Thunder have a clear advantage. The Pacers may have eight guys averaging 10+ points in this series, but they don’t have any averaging 25+. OKC has two in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.
The Thunder will come out and punch Indiana in the mouth on Thursday. The only question is whether they can sustain it and hold off another comeback. We’re taking OKC to successfully hold off the Haliban onslaught and actually win this comfortably.
Best Bet: Oklahoma City Thunder -6.5 Point Spread (-110)/Sports Interaction
