The Oklahoma City Thunder have a chance to capture the franchise’s first title since relocating to OKC on Thursday night. The Indiana Pacers have a chance to force the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 2016. The Thunder enter Game 6 with a 3-2 series lead after back-to-back victories, and they are favored to close things out on the road in Indianapolis.
Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton is dealing with a calf injury but will give it a go on Thursday night.
The Thunder got 71 combined points from Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 5. The OKC stars are the two leading scorers in the series, with Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 32.4 points per game and Williams adding 25.8. SGA, the regular-season MVP, is the heavy favorite to win Finals MVP (-650 on BetMGM entering Game 6).
Pacers vs. Thunder: Game 6 info
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | Date: Thursday, June 19
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis
TV channel: ABC | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Odds (via betMGM): Thunder -6.5, O/U 221.5
Pacers vs. Thunder: Game 6 best bets
We’ve been sticking with home-court advantage for our spread picks in the Finals, and I see no reason to change now. The Thunder are 10-2 at home with a +247 point-differential in the postseason. They are 5-4 on the road with a -50 point-differential. They very easily could have lost Game 4 in Indiana and actually did lose Game 3. I just can’t justify laying the points on Oklahoma City at home. The Thunder may well win the championship on Thursday, but it’s hard to imagine they do so with a blowout. The pick: Pacers +6.5
We crossed the rubicon in Game 5 from an offense perspective. If this series is going to hit the overs when Tyrese Haliburton doesn’t make a field goal, we should just blindly assume it’s going to hit the overs in all pre-Game 7 matchups. Every game in this series has reached at least 215 points. The pace has been remarkably fast for a late-stage playoff series — 99.5 possessions per game, which would be roughly average in the regular season, but last season’s Finals had a pace of only 93 possessions per game. We’ll re-evaluate if there’s a Game 7, as those are notoriously low-scoring, but for now, I’m trusting the offenses to keep the points coming. The pick: Over 221.5
I hate to do this, but Game 5 gives me no choice. Tyrese Haliburton is clearly hobbled. Even healthy Tyrese Haliburton doesn’t get into the paint all that often. He attempted just one shot in the paint in Game 5 and missed it. If he’s going to be a jump-shooter exclusively in Game 6 and he can’t generate off-ball separation as easily as he typically would, I have no choice but to pick his scoring total under. The pick: Haliburton Under 15.5 Points
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