NBA Tips, Friday June 20

NBA Tips, Friday June 20

each way
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers (Game 6)
SGM: SGA Over 33.5 Points & OKC (-6) $2.83

Series Score 3-2 OKC 

The 2025 NBA Finals head back to Indiana, where the Oklahoma City Thunder have an opportunity to seal their first ever “World” Title!

The Thunder eased passed the Pacers in Game 5, with Jalen Williams throwing up 40+ points, a heavy contrast to Halliburton’s 0!

The Pacers’ star man has been asked to carry a huge load this postseason, and it seems to have caught up with him, with Hali struggling to stay on the court with a calf injury.

I think the Thunder can smell blood in the water, and although Indi has been resilient at home up until now, I can see the flood gates finally opening.

I have OKC to win big, combined with another large night from Shai.

NBA Tips, Tuesday June 17

each way
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers (Game 5)
SGM: Thunder (-9.5) | Over 223.5 Points | SGA 35+ Points $4.69

Series Score 2-2 

The NBA Finals is delicately poised at two games a piece, after the Thunder came from behind to snatch Game 4.

OKC now have the chance to lead the series for the first time when they welcome the Pacers to Oklahoma for Game 5.

SGA scored 15 points in the last 5 minutes of Game 4, to ensure his side stayed in the hunt for the their first ever league title.

Shai has gone big in each of the Thunders wins this series and he’ll be looking to be aggrieve again in Game 5.

I’m backing the regular season MVP to take over this fixture from the opening tip and blow the visitors off the court.

NBA Tips, Saturday June 14

each way
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers (Game 4)
SGM: OKC (-5.5) | Shai Over 33.5 Pts & Over 6.5 Ast $4.44

Series Score 2-1 Pacers

The Pacers bounced back from a poor showing in Game 2 to take 2-1 lead in the series after balling out in Game 3 in front of their home fans.

Indiana’s bench outscored OKC’s 49-18 in Game 3, with Bennedict Mathurin chipping in with 27 points from 22 minutes court time, while T.J McConnell set the tone with five steals, five assists and 10 points of his own.

The Thunder have not lost back-to-back games since early April, going 6-0 flowing a defeat since then.

I’m expecting Oklahoma to level the series in emphatic fashion, with the spiritual leader and MVP, SGA leading the way on the box score.

 

NBA Tips, Thursday June 12

each way
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers (Game 3)
SGM: Pacers (+5.5) | Haliburton Over 16.5 Pts | Siakam Over 18.5 Pts $5.05

Series Score 1-1

Then 2025 NBA Finals heads to Indiana with the series poised at a game a piece.

The Pacers shocked the basketball community in Game 1, coming back from a hefty 3rd quarter deficit to win with the last shot of the game, taking Halliburton’s clutch match-winners tally to four in the off season.

Game 2 went far more to script, with the Thunder running out 16-point winners, after blowing out the Pacers in the first half.

The Pacers are 4-2 at home in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, with Hali averaging 21-6-11 in Indi, while Siakam leads his team in scoring at home with 25 points.

The Pacers will be throwing the kitchen sink at Game 3, and I’m backing them to cover the line as home underdogs, combined with Siakam and Hali both hitting their overs.

 

NBA Tips, Friday June 6

each way
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers (Game 1)
SGM: SGA Over 33.5 Pts | OKC -9.5 | Chet 3+ Blocks $5.80

The 2024/25 NBA Finals will be contested by the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.

It’s no surprise to see the Thunder here, with many pundits and punters backing them to finish the season with the best record, which they went on to do, finishing with a 68-14 record and a +12.9 point differential the highest in NBA history!

Alternatively, no-one expected the Pacers to be here, with the Celts the preseason favourites to return to the Finals and compete for back-to-back titles, while the Cavs were the most dominant Eastern Conference team in the regular season.

Path here:

OKC’s path to the Finals saw them sweep Memphis 4-0 in the first round, claiming a historic 51-point victory in Game 1, before edging the Denver Nuggets out in a 7-game thriller in the 2nd round, then cruising past the Timberwolves 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals.

Meanwhile, the Pacers finished as the fourth seed in the East, and blew past the injury stricken Bucks 4-1 in round one of the postseason, before putting the Cavs to the sword in round two in another 4-1 landslide, then booking their place in the Finals with 4-2 series upset over the Knicks.

Key Players:
The player to watch from OKC is the 2024/25 regular season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 32.7 points, 5 rebound, and 6.4 assists during the regular season, while going 30-6-7 in the playoffs, claiming the Western Conference Finals MVP.

While the player to watch from the Pacers is Tyrese Haliburton, averting 19-9-4 during the regular season, while upping his game in the post season, averaging 26.5 points and 12 assist in the Eastern Conference Finals, though not quite enough to claim the MVP for that series.

Tips:
Series prediction:
Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 $3.00
Player Predictions:
Shai to average Over 33.5 for the series $1.92
Chet Holmgren most Rebounds in the Series $1.75
Haliburton to average Over 9.5 Assists for the series $2.20
Contingency Bet:
Haliburton Finals MVP $7.50
Game 1 Multi: $5.80
SGA Over 33.5
OKC -9.5
Chet 3+ Blocks

NBA Tips, Sunday June 1

each way
Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks (Game 6)
SGM: Pacers (-3.5) & Over 220 Points & Haliburton 20+ Points $4.38

Series Score 3-2 Indiana

The Knicks manage to extend the series to at least Game 6, where they’ll take on the Pacers in Indiana.

The Pacers were held to under 100 points for the first time in the postseason, and have failed to win any playoffs fixtures when scoring less than 110 points, going to show how heavily they rely on offence.

Meanwhile, the Knicks will be looking to turn this into a low-scoring contest, with both of their series victories seeing under 206.5 total points scored.

The Gainbridge Fieldhouse was jumping in Game 5, the energy was simply infectious, and I’m backing the Indiana faithful to lift the lid of their area, and lift the output of their squad from 1 through to 10.

I’m backing the Pacers to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, covering the spread, combined with the overs hitting and Hali filling his boots.

NBA Tips, Friday May 30

each way
New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers (Game 5)
Jalen Brunson 35+ Pts & Knicks to Win $3..28

Series Score 3-1 Indiana

The Pacers have a chance to progress through to the NBA Finals and take on the Thunder with a win at MSG against the Knicks.

Indiana won the opening two games of this series at the Garden, over-turning sizeable halftime deficits in both games.

There’s no doubt that the NBA would love this series to be extended, and as such I’m expecting the likes of Jalen Brunson to find his way to the line on multiple occasions.

Brunson scored 43 and 36 in the opening two games in New York and will need to go nuclear in Game 5 to keep this series alive.

I’m taking Jalen to drop 35+ points on the way to a Knicks victory.

NBA Tips, Thursday May 29

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves (Game 5)
OKC to Cover & SGA Over 31.5 Points $3.04

Series Score 3-1 OKC

The Thunder head home to Oklahoma with a chance to wrap up the Western Conference finals and head to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, when they lost out 4-1 to the LeBron led Miami Heat.

OKC comfortably won both Games 1 & 2 at home, with SGA leading the scoring in both contests, dropping 31, and 38 points, getting to the line at will.

This looks to be the end of the line for the T-Wolves who have struggled to figure out the Thunders offence and defence, with Ant-Man only showing flashes of brilliance.

I’m taking OKC to win in a landslide, combined with an MVP performance from Shai.

NBA Tips, Wednesday May 28

each way
New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers (Game 4)
Knicks (+2) & Brunson Over 29.5 Points $3.15

Series Score 2-1 Indiana

The Knicks vs Pacers series has been one of huge momentum shifts, with both sides coming back from massive deficits two win last in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks kept their season alive doing just that, coming from 20-points down the 2nd half, to ultimately win by six.

KAT was the man who stepped up for NY, with Brunson in foul trouble, Anthony-Towns put up 20 of his side’s 36 points in the 4th quarter, individually equalling the entire Pacers scoring for that period.

The Knicks have won five of their six road games in the post season, and seem to thrive under the pressure of a hostile crowd.

I have the away team covering once again, combined with Brunson hitting his overs after a quiet Game 3.

NBA Tips, Tuesday May 27

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 4)
SGM: Timberwolves to Cover & Edwards 25+ Pts $2.56

Series Score 2-1 OKC

OKC vs T-Wolves heads into Game 4 in Minnesota with the #1 seeds holding a 2-1 advantage.

After severely underperforming in Games 1 & 2, the Timberwolves pieced together a commanding display in from of their home fans, taking Game 3 by 42 points, with Ant-Man and Randle combining for 52 points.

SGA was kept to a mere 14 points, from 13 shots, only finding his way to the free-throw line on a couple of occasions.

This contest will largely be dictated by how the refs want to call it, the more physical the match becomes, the more Minnesota can muscle their way into the contest.

I like the Timberwolves to cover as home underdogs, combined with 25+ point from their star man, Anthony Edwards.