Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2 Prediction, NBA Finals Odds
If Game 1 is any indication, we’re in for an all-time great NBA Finals as Indiana shocked the Thunder in a 111-110 comeback victory. Will OKC respond in Game 2, or can the Pacers double their series lead?
The Thunder opened as 10.5-point favourites to win Game 2 on the NBA odds, with the total set at 228.5.
Pacers vs. Thunder NBA Betting Odds
After being swept in the regular season series, Indiana impressed while covering as a 10-point underdog in Game 1. The Pacers are now 7-2 against the spread in their last nine games, while Oklahoma City is just 5-10 ATS in their last 15.
Oddsmakers clearly haven’t been swayed by the result of Game 1 as the Thunder remain -325 favourites to win the NBA Finals on the NBA futures board. Indiana is a +225 series underdog. Bettors who took the Pacers prior to Game 1 have to be happy as they entered the series as heavy +500 underdogs.
The favoured series result is now Oklahoma City to win in seven games (was five before Game 1) at +240. An Indiana sweep remains the biggest long shot at +2200.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had twice as many points as the next closest player on either team in Game 1, so it’s no surprise to see him listed as a -300 favourite to win Finals MVP.
Unlike the NHL, however, the NBA’s MVP award is strictly for the Finals, not the playoffs as a whole, so it’s virtually impossible for a player on the losing team to win like Connor McDavid winning the Conn Smythe last year. That makes Tyrese Haliburton at +340 to win Finals MVP very attractive if you think the Pacers will complete the upset.
Indiana Pacers
The story of Game 1 for Indiana is the dynamic duo of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. Haliburton finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, with none of his points being more important than the 21-foot jumper he hit with 0.3 seconds left to win the game. It was Haliburton’s third game-winner of the playoffs. Siakam carried a lot of the heavy lifting earlier in the game, dropping a team-high 19 points to go along with 10 boards.
As great as the ending was for the Pacers, there has to be concern as Game 1 easily could have ended in an OKC blowout. Indiana trailed by 15 points in the fourth quarter, making it the biggest rally for a team in the NBA Finals since Dallas also trailed by 15 in 2011 against Miami. Turnovers were the big issue. The Pacers lost the turnover battle 24-6, which just isn’t sustainable against a team like the Thunder.
Oklahoma City Thunder
OKC has to be kicking themselves after wasting a truly brilliant performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished Thursday with a game-high 38 points. For comparison, no other player on either team even hit the 20-point plateau. You can be sure SGA will have a tough time forgetting about his missed jumper that led to a turnover and the eventual game-winning shot for the Pacers.
To put it in perspective how truly stunning the Game 1 loss was for the Thunder consider this stat: When leading at home by 15 points at any period of a game, let alone the fourth quarter, this season, Oklahoma City was 36-1 entering Thursday. Still, it’s not time to panic. The Thunder did everything right, won the turnover battle by a significant margin and just came up short. If Gilgeous-Alexander continues his torrid pace and OKC can get a little more from Jalen Williams, Lu Dort and Chet Holmgren, the team will be fine.
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