Game 3 NBA Finals best bets include a Pacers upset and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring surge as the series shifts.
The series changes zip codes, but it does more than that—it changes heartbeat.
In Oklahoma City, the Thunder’s win in Game 2 brought belief, bravado, and the illusion of control. In Indiana, it lit a different kind of fire—one stoked by experience, by mistakes made and lessons learned.
Now, Game 3 arrives not just as a swing game, but a statement. And the Pacers, backed by a crowd that hasn’t felt this kind of hope since the Reggie Miller era, know what’s on the line.
This isn’t just another chapter. It’s a shift in tone. A challenge to momentum. A chance.
Best Bet No. 1: Pacers ML (+184) or +5.5
Sometimes the numbers lie. Sometimes, they don’t tell the whole story.
Oklahoma City won Game 2, yes—but strip away the second quarter, and the game is even. The Thunder didn’t dominate; they found a rhythm at the line (29-of-33) while the Pacers missed their opportunities (19-of-26). The margin wasn’t about dominance. It was about detail.
We need Gainbridge Fieldhouse to look like this on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/YtroSnzGWN
— Pacers Playoffs📊 (@PlayoffsPacers) June 9, 2025
The Pacers come home with corrections in mind and a coach in Rick Carlisle who knows how to make them. He’s 17-15 straight up in playoff games when the series is tied—his fingerprints are often most visible when things get tight.
Meanwhile, OKC is 0-7 against the spread on the road in the postseason and has stumbled in Game 3s the past two years. This is where trends, travel, and trust intersect.
The Pacers won’t just cover. They’ll announce they’re still here.
✅ The Play: Pacers ML (+184)
🎯 Alternate: Pacers +5.5
Best Bet No. 2: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OVER 33.5 Points (-125)
There’s something inevitable about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander right now.
Call it confidence. Call it poise. Call it what you will—he’s arriving in every moment like it belongs to him. And in the biggest moments, he doesn’t shrink. He expands.
Kobe and SGA’s playoff stats are almost identical 🔥👀 pic.twitter.com/n6YaBpiOBa
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) June 10, 2025
SGA has cleared 33.5 points in four straight games and five of his last six. Indiana will adjust defensively, no doubt. They’ll try to wall him off, crowd him early, throw different looks. But history—and rhythm—says it won’t be enough.
Against the Pacers this season, he’s gone for 33 and 45. With the MVP trophy freshly handed to him and the spotlight narrowing, the game slows for him when it speeds up for everyone else.
Indiana’s defense may fluster the ing cast. But Shai? He’s a solo act with a chorus of buckets.
✅ The Play: SGA OVER 33.5 Points (-125)
More Than a Game
Game 3 is more than numbers on a board or odds on a screen. It’s a mood swing. A test. A question: which team owns the moment when the crowd rises and every possession tightens?
The Thunder have shown they’re young and fearless. The Pacers, though, are seasoned and scarred—and sometimes, that makes all the difference.
Two picks. One game. A series on the edge.
Let’s see who answers.
