The Lakers and Pacers will battle it out in the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship game on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Neither team was expected to be here, but the tournament has produced plenty of surprising results thanks to the tenacity the players have brought to the table. The Pacers and Lakers have clearly taken the tournament seriously and are sure to bring their best in this one.
We’re taking a look at the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship game odds and props. We also outlined some of the best sportsbook bonuses to take advantage of for the contest.
NBA in-Season Championship Preview: Lakers vs. Pacers
The Lakers are getting healthy and beginning to look more like the team that nearly made the NBA Finals last season. Their starting lineup are all healthy and available and will play their fourth game together in the championship. In the three games they have all been healthy, they are 3-0 against Houston, Phoenix, and New Orleans, who they dominated in the semifinal round.
The Pacers were an afterthought coming into the season, but as of now, they are a playoff team and have a potential MVP leading the way in Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers have been underdogs in multiple games to this point, but they have continued to find a way to get it done. They’ll be dogs again in the championship matchup, but Haliburton makes them a tough out against anyone in a single game.
Lakers’ Stifling Defense
Although limited in minutes, the Lakers’ defense has turned it up a notch since Jarred Vanderbilt returned to the team. In their three games since he has been back, they have held the Pelicans and Warriors below 100 points, and they also limited the high-powered Suns team to just 103 points. They’ll need that to continue against Indiana, who is scoring with the best of them.
The Pacers are averaging 132 points in tournament play, with Haliburton leading the way with averages of 26 points, 13.6 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game. He’ll be the focal point of the Lakers’ defense, which has seventh in defensive ratings, 11th in three-point defense, and 12th in points in the paint allowed. With their starting lineup healthy, they are certain to climb even higher in their defensive rankings.
Pacers’ Never Say Never Attitude
The Pacers have embraced the underdog mantra and worn it as a badge of honor. To get to this point, they have gone undefeated in tournament play, with wins over the Cavs, 76ers, Celtics, and Bucks. The 76ers, Bucks, and Celtics are all near the top of the odds boards in the championship odds this season, and in playoff-like environments, the Pacers have beaten them all.
This season, Boston owns the second-best defensive rating in the NBA and are seventh best in points in the paint allowed per contest. The Pacers defeated them 122-112 in their tournament battle thanks to back-to-back 37-point quarters in the second half. Whatever is needed from the Pacers in the moment, they seem to find a way to produce. In that game, the Pacers had seven players score in double figures, including every starter.
It’s a complete team effort in Indiana, and every player has bought in. you can’t measure that on a stat sheet, but it does show up in the eye-test, which always counts for something in big games.
NBA In-Season Tournament Prop Bets
As always, if you want to add to the excitement without wagering on the point spread or the Over/Under, you can take a shot at some prop bets. Here are our favorite prop bets for Saturday’s championship game.
Tyrese Haliburton Under 28.5 points (-120 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Vanderbilt’s minutes restriction may be lifted in this one. He is one of the best defenders in the league. Between him and James in spurts, Haliburton isn’t likely to have as big of a night in this one.
Tyrese Haliburton Over 12.5 assists (-138 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook)
The Lakers have done well getting the ball out of opposing teams’ star players. They’ll certainly stick to that recipe in this contest and Haliburton is the engine of the pacers’ offense. However, his teammates do well at finding the open spots when he is trapped and make opposing teams pay. Look for his high assists totals to continue.
LeBron James Over 28.5 points (-106 odds on Caesars Sportsbook)
James has been pretty assertive looking for his shots in tournament games. In six tournament games, he has four 30-point performances. The early season big stage seems to appeal to him and taking him over on points is a good trend to ride currently.
