After a dominant Game 2 win by the OKC Thunder to even the NBA Finals at 1-1, the scene shifts to Indianapolis, with pivotal Game 3 going Wednesday night. Another two day break between games means it should be all systems go, and we could be in for an extraordinary night of hoops. We’re expecting a high-scoring affair, and our NBA Finals betting picks reflect that.
Check out our best Game 3 Thunder vs Pacers player props. Make the following wagers with a $150 bonus or $1,000 safety net on bet365 Sportsbook. You'll find other NBA betting promos, like odds boosts.
Pick #1: Holmgren Under 8.5 Rebounds (-140 at Bet365)
So we’re hitting this one three games in row. First the books dropped Chet Holmgren’s rebounding line from 9.5 to 8.5 after Game 1.
As he stayed under that total for a second straight game, they kept his line at 8.5, but now offering a little less juice, going from -105 to -140 odds. Still, view the current NBA Finals betting odds on bet365 and take this one as a win.
Holmgren might be at times the tallest player on the court, but he’s operating as mostly a perimeter player on offense, and his duties on defense are either Myles Turner or Pascal Siakam, who tend to do their work at the top of the key.
It’s now seven straight games he’s gone for seven rebounds or less in a game, and rebounding isn’t the main ingredient the team is looking for from him. It'll be one of our favorite NBA Finals betting picks until Holmgren breaks the streak.
Pick #2: Nesmith Over 1.5 Three-Pointers Made (+125 at Bet365)
In terms of two-way play, every team could use Aaron Nesmith. He’s been a high-end defender for the entire playoffs, but during this run, it’s his contributions on the offensive end that’s sent his game into a new realm.
Nesmith is shooting a career-best 49.5% from three-point range in these playoffs on a career-high 5.6 attempts. To out that into context, in three previous playoff years, he’s never even touched 30% shooting from beyond the arc.
For whatever reason, the Pacers have taken him off the primary scorer in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and left him mostly on Jalen Williams. Maybe that’s saved his legs, because he’s hit seven triples in this series, topping his 1.5 make line both games.
He’s got the same line Wednesday, and Nesmith has hit at least two moneyballs in five of eight games at home this postseason.
Pick #3: Gilgeous-Alexander Under 9.5 Free Throw Attempts (-120 at Bet365)
There’s no doubt who the offensive hub of the Thunder are. Gligeous-Alexander is a walking bucket. He leads the playoffs in scoring at 32.7 points per game, and he’s touched 30-point plateau in four straight and in nine of the last 10.
The only thing that’s been inconsistent is SGA’s trips to the free throw line. In Game 2, he took 12 trips to the stripe, and hit 11. However, that’s just the second time in the last five games that he’s had double-digit free throw attempts.
There’s also a little trend that’s developed over the playoffs. In every Game 3 the Thunder have played – their first game on the road in each series – SGA has gone under 9.5 free throw attempts.
Perhaps it’s because he’s had at least 20 free throws taken in Games 1 and 2 at home in the previous two series, but I think his whistle struggles occur again in Game 3 vs Indy.