It all comes down to just one game as the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder do battle in a dramatic Game 7 of the NBA Finals at the Paycom Center on Sunday night. Here’s a Thunder vs Pacers Prediction. This article will include a Thunder vs Pacers Pick.
Indiana Pacers Betting Preview
The Indiana Pacers had their backs against the wall as they needed to win at home in Game 6 to force a series decider, and they did just that with a dominant 108-91 win over the Thunder on Thursday. Obi Toppin led the team with 20 points off the bench, Andrew Nembhard added 17 points with four assists, Pascal Siakam scored 16 points with 13 rebounds while Tyrese Haliburton chipped in with 14 points and five assists.
As a team, the Pacers shot 41 percent from the field and 15 of 42 from the 3-point line as they got off to a nightmare start, missing their first eight shot attempts to fall into an immediate 10-2 deficit. However, once the Pacers found their mojo, it was just an avalanche of points as they dominated most of the contest to lead by as many as 31 points, before they took their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter. Tyrese Haliburton played limited minutes as he was dealing with a strained calf, but had plenty of support off the bench from TJ McConnell, who racked up 12 points with nine rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be kicking themselves after missing out on a chance to seal the deal on the road in Game 6 on Thursday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team in scoring with just 21 points on seven of 15 shooting, Jalen Williams added 16 points while Isaiah Joe chipped in with 11 points off the bench, but no other player scored more than 10 points.
As a team, the Thunder shot just 41 percent from the field and eight of 30 from the 3-point line as they got off to a fantastic start and looked like they were about to jump out to a big early lead. But after they took a 10-2 lead, they got outscored by 62-32 the rest of the half. We kept waiting for the Thunder to make a comeback, but they really didn’t have any level of success until the game was well into garbage time. Chet Holmgren had a night to forget as he shot just two of nine for his four points, while Luguentz Dort scored just three points on one of five shooting. However, no starter played their usual minutes, given that the game was over before the end of the third quarter.
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder will win
- The Thunder have won each of their last 12 night games following a road loss.
- The Pacers have lost each of their last 11 games against Northwest Division opponents after winning as underdogs.
- The Thunder have covered the spread in 10 of their last 11 games at Paycom Center against Eastern Conference opponents that held a winning record.
- The Pacers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five games against Northwest Division opponents after winning as underdogs.
Why the Indiana Pacers will win
- The Pacers have won seven of their last eight Sunday games as underdogs.
- The Pacers have covered the spread in seven of their last eight Sunday road games.
Oklahoma City Thunder Player Facts
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranks 1st amongst qualified players for points per game (32.7) this season.
- Cason Wallace ranks 3rd amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.8) this season.
Indiana Pacers Player Facts
- Tyrese Haliburton ranks 1st amongst qualified players for assist:turnover ratio (5.6) this season.
- Myles Turner ranks 1st in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for Blocks Per Game (2.0) this season.
Thunder vs Pacers Prediction
The best two words in sports? Game 7. The momentum is clearly with the Pacers, who ran all over the Thunder in a dominant showing at home in Game 6 thanks to their balanced scoring and underrated defense. However, the Thunder will be quietly confident given that their last two home games in this series have resulted in double-digit wins. The Pacers’ Haliburton continues to play through a nagging calf strain, so they will need players like McConnell and Toppin to step up again. This will be a tough challenge on the road against a Thunder team who are 6-0 SU following a loss during these playoffs.
I can see why some people might dismiss the Thunder given how bad they looked in Game 6, but they were just so uncharacteristically bad, and I don’t think that Thunder team shows up again. The Pacers were always going to be the more desperate team on Thursday, and well done if you followed us and backed them to pull off the upset at home. However, the NBA Finals has gone to Game 7 just 19 times and in 15 of those games, it was the home team who prevailed. With that being said, I am leaning towards the Thunder to bounce back and get the win and cover at home.