The NBA Finals continue Monday with the Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2, and it’s the Pacers who took a stunning 1-0 lead.
We have NBA Finals Game 2 expert tips and predictions for big game, where pressure is on the Thunder to bounce back at home.
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NBA Finals Game 2 Tips
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Tyrese Haliburton did it again in Game 1 when knocking down the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds on the clock. It was an insane comeback for the Pacers, who trailed by double digits for most of the game, but the Thunder weren’t able to put them away.
It looked as though the Thunder were going to win and cover the –9.5 spread with ease, and instead of covering, they didn’t even win the game outright. That’s not a good sign for the rest of the series, but bookmakers have them at even shorter odds on Monday.
The Thunder are $1.17 favourites and –11.5 with NBA spreads, which we can’t quite understand. Despite committing many turnovers in Game 1, the Pacers were still good enough to win, so that’s a big concern for the Thunder.
Most punters can’t see them losing two games at home to start the NBA Finals, but if the Pacers play solidly, they should cover the spread comfortably and have a chance of stealing another road win.
Thunder by 4
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We cashed with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 33.5 points in Game 1, and we’re backing Miles Turner to have a big game in Game 2.
The Pacers big man is one of the more versatile players in the NBA, and his ability to shoot from behind the three-point line makes him a unique threat. We thought he would be at much shorter odds than $2.35 to have 15+ points. He scored 19 points four games back, and he had a solid 15 points in Game 1.
We also like Pascal Siakam 20+ points at $1.96, which is an excellent NBA multi bet. Siakam had only 19 points in Game 1, but he wasn’t needed to have a big scoring performance. His series against New York was special, scoring totals of 39, 30, and 31 points.
There is also solid value with Siakam to top score for the game. He’s a $15 chance with bookmakers, and although Gilgeous-Alexander is the firm favourite at $1.22, he might have an off game under the pressure of finals basketball.
Sticking with the Pacers players, we’re including Haliburton over 2.5 threes. He is a streaky shooter, and although his technique leaves little to be desired, he gets the buckets to drop. He went 2-7 in Game 1 on Friday, and we predict him to improve on that performance.