Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Betting Pick & Prediction 12/26/24
The Oklahoma City Thunder (-201) are favored by 5 points over the Pacers (+169) in a non-conference matchup. The over/under line is 226.5 points.
Indiana is currently on a 5-game win streak and is 8th in the Eastern Conference. The Thunder are 1st in the West and have won 8 straight games.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER VS INDIANA PACERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Indiana Pacers +5
This game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 7:00 ET on Thursday, December 26th.
WHY BET THE INDIANA PACERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 125-113 in favor of the Pacers.
- Our projections have Pascal Siakam finishing with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.
- From the field, we have the Pacers finishing with a field goal percentage of 50.0% and knocking down 14 threes.
Will the Thunder Pull Through as the Favored Road Team?
The Thunder improved to 23-5 this season with a 123-105 win over the Wizards on Monday. Playing at home, Oklahoma City was favored by 18 points, and the final score matched that spread. The game’s total points of 228 narrowly exceeded the 226.5-point line.
A key moment came when the Thunder went on a 15-0 run, turning a 37-32 deficit into a 47-37 lead. After a 38-31 second quarter, both teams scored 24 points in the third. Oklahoma City then clamped down defensively, holding Washington to 18 points in the fourth while scoring 32 of their own.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 41 points and 9 rebounds powered the Thunder to a win over the Wizards, shooting 56% from the field and hitting 3 threes at a 50% clip. Jalen Williams added 17 points, with 11 coming in the 1st quarter, while Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Oklahoma City struggled from beyond the arc, making just 10 threes at 26.3%, and shot 44.3% overall. Ajay Mitchell also scored 16 points, with 11 coming in the 4th quarter.
Despite giving up 63 points in the first half, the Thunder tightened up defensively in the 3rd and 4th quarters, allowing just 42 points in a 123-105 win over the Wizards. Oklahoma City held Washington to 39% shooting from the field.
The Thunder sent the Wizards to the free-throw line 20 times, where they made 17 attempts. Oklahoma City collected 15 steals and blocked 9 shots in the game.
Will the Indiana Defense Show Up at Home?
Indiana moved to 15-15 on the season with a 111-105 road win over the Warriors on Monday. The Pacers entered the game as +6 point underdogs and not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread. The total points for the game were 216, falling short of the 231.5 O/U line.
After taking control in the 2nd quarter (29-22), Indiana saw their 89-79 lead vanish as the Warriors went on an 11-0 run. However, the Pacers regrouped and held Golden State to 20 points in the 4th quarter while scoring 22 to seal the win.
Myles Turner led the Pacers with 23 points and 10 rebounds in their win over the Warriors, shooting 64.3% from the field and hitting 3 threes at 42.9%. Pascal Siakam added 20 points, and Tyrese Haliburton contributed 16 points and 12 assists, despite shooting just 28.6% from deep.
As a team, the Pacers made 11 threes, shooting 31.4% from beyond the arc, while finishing with an overall field goal percentage of 48.9%. T.J. McConnell scored 11 of his 13 points in the 3rd quarter, and Turner added 9 points in the 4th to help secure the win.
The Pacers tightened up defensively in the 2nd and 4th quarters, allowing just 22 and 20 points, respectively, to help secure a 111-105 win over the Warriors. Indiana held Golden State to 43% shooting from the field.
From beyond the arc, the Pacers limited the Warriors to 12 threes on 31% shooting. Indiana also sent Golden State to the line 21 times, where they made 15 free throws. The Pacers finished with 7 steals and 4 blocks.