Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder is set for Sunday night, with tipoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
Our staff of basketball betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified 4 NBA picks for tonight's contest. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Sunday, June 8
NBA Finals Best Bets, Picks, Predictions: Sunday, June 8
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 8 p.m. | |
| 8 p.m. | |
| 8 p.m. | |
| 8 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Pacers vs. Thunder
By Joe Dellera
The Thunder were grossly out-rebounded by Indiana in Game 1 of this series, and even though the small ball lineup was effective at causing chaos, they allowed Indiana to record 13 offensive rebounds, which equated to over 30% of their misses.
Those second-chance opportunities were fruitful for Indy.
One pivot may be to use Hartenstein a bit more and lean into the size advantage in a lineup that was often used throughout the season.
Hartenstein scored 9 points and secured 9 rebounds in just 17 minutes in Game 1. If he gets a bit more run in Game 2, then the ceiling is significantly higher than that.
He gets short-roll opportunities and put-back chances on offense, so I like attacking this from a combo prop angle.
He’s hit this line in 73% of games with Chet this season and averages 19 PR in about 25 minutes. I’ll back iHart in Game 2.
Pick: Isaiah Hartenstein Over 14.5 Points + Rebounds (-115)
| | |
Pacers vs. Thunder
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault may have overthought things in Game 1 by opting for a smaller starting lineup against the Pacers.
The decision didn’t exactly pan out as Indiana torched OKC from the perimeter, shooting 46.2% on 18-of-39 3-pointers.
More importantly, the Pacers dominated the Thunder on the boards (56-39) despite attempting 16 fewer shots (98-82).
OKC’s struggles on the glass led to key second-chance opportunities for Indiana, keeping the Eastern Conference champions in the game despite trailing by as many as 15 points.
Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein was the player left out of the starting lineup in place of Cason Wallace at the guard position.
While Hartenstein played only 17 minutes, he was still productive, scoring nine points and grabbing nine rebounds.
His rebounds + assists prop is available at 8.5, a number he has covered in 17 of his previous 19 games against opponents ranked in the bottom-10 defensively for rebounds allowed.
The Pacers certainly fit that criteria, as Hartenstein has also cleared this line in 10 of his last 12 head-to-head meetings against Indy.
Even if Daigneault sticks with his smaller lineup, Hartenstein should get more minutes, giving him an even greater chance to go over his rebounds + assists prop in Game 2 tonight.
Pick: Isaiah Hartenstein Over 8.5 Rebounds + Assists (-110)
| | |
Pacers vs. Thunder
I jumped on Isaiah Hartenstein over 13.5 points + rebounds for Game 2 during our post-game live of Game 1.
Hartenstein came off the bench and got nine and nine (18 PR total) in just 17 minutes of work last game.
This is a series where he can dominate on the glass if he stays on the floor and isn't pulled out to the three-point line too often. And, to be honest, he's more trustworthy on the glass in terms of consistency than Chet Holmgren.
Mark Daigneault overthought Game 1. Starting Cason Wallace for Hartenstein was a mistake, in part leading to a 56-39 rebounding edge for Indiana, which is damning when you're forcing a million turnovers and hardly scoring off them.
OKC needs Hartenstein, and I anticipate we'll see more of him in Game 2. We should, at least.
Pick: Isaiah Hartenstein Over 14.5 Points + Rebounds (-115)
| | |
Pacers vs. Thunder
By Joe Dellera
Haliburton had the big moment in Game 1 with the game winning shot to give Indiana their first lead of the contest with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock.
However, the rest of his impact was a bit underwhelming.
He had just 6 assists on 13 potentials in Game 1 despite making 89 passes, which is 13 more than his playoff average.
The passes he made were not ones that were setting up his teammates to score from his assists.
OKC swarmed him and forced the ball out of his hands and into his teammates, which was extremely effective with Indiana turning the ball over 24 times.
Those individual results are buried a bit because Indiana stole the victory, but the overall defensive scheme was effective.
Couple those potentials with Indiana likely regressing from beyond the arc, and I’ll take under 8.5 dimes for Hali in Game 2 tonight.
