Thunder vs. Pacers Best Bet, Prediction: Can Haliburton Shine Despite Injury?

Sam Panayotovich

FOX Sports Betting Analyst

It could be curtains for the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

The Oklahoma City Thunder hold a 3-2 series lead over the Indiana Pacers, and most American bookmakers are dealing Oklahoma City as a 6.5-point road favorite in what is quite literally a do-or-die Game 6 for Indiana.

Odds are against the Pacers as they’ve been all along.

Tyrese Haliburton is expected to play with a right calf strain, and boy has the betting market caught up over this series. His point prop was lined at O/U 19.5 for Game 1, and it’s now six points lower.

Haliburton’s Game 6 point props

O 13.5 -102 — FanDuel
O 13.5 -105 — Caesars
O 13.5 -110 — BetMGM
O 13.5 -110 — DraftKings
O 13.5 -112 — BetRivers

I’m sure you heard he only scored four points in the last game, too.

Everywhere you look, there’s a pundit saying Haliburton isn’t a star or a social media comment saying he’s ‘cooked’. I’m exhausted by the rollercoaster reactions after every game and find myself looking to buy the dip.

You get six points of wiggle room if you’re willing to bet Over 13.5 points, a task he’s accomplished in 16 of 21 games this postseason.

“I’m a competitor,” Haliburton told reporters on Wednesday. “I want to play. I’m going to do everything in my power to play. That’s the plan.”

Cue the Coach Kilmer jokes from Varsity Blues.

In all seriousness, Haliburton is a tough cookie, and he’s been getting around-the-clock treatment from the Pacers’ medical staff. They’re using H-Wave stimulation, hyperbaric chambers, massages and needles to prepare him for the biggest game of his life, and he’s adamant he plans to play.

If he doesn’t, you get your money back.

At the end of the day, I’ll guess Haliburton gets the green light when the ‘game-time decision’ arrives on Thursday night, and I’m happy to bet on him getting over a number that’s been adjusted by six whole points.

Here’s hoping he comes firing out of the chute.

PICK: Tyrese Haliburton (-102) Over 13.5 points in Game 6

Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and the BetMGM Network. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot.

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