Pacers vs. Thunder Prediction: NBA Finals Game 5 Preview

With the NBA Finals now tied up at 2-2, the Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Indiana Pacers for a pivotal Game 5 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday at the Paycom Center on ABC.

History tells us that the winner of Monday’s matchup will likely win the championship. When the NBA Finals are tied at 2-2, 74.2% of the Game 5 winners have gone on to win the series.

That’s what made Oklahoma City’s fourth-quarter rally on Friday so critical. The Thunder were down by as many as 10 before surging back to win 111-104. They are now big favorites in tonight’s critical battle.

Here’s a look at the latest NBA odds for Thunder vs. Pacers and my prediction ahead of Monday’s Game 5 of the NBA Finals:

Pacers vs. Thunder Odds: Game 5

• Pacers spread: +9.5
• Thunder spread: -9.5
• Total: 224.5

Pacers vs. Thunder Game 5 Prediction for NBA Finals

Based on the updated NBA betting lines, I‘m backing Indiana’s spread (+9.5) as my Game 5 prediction for the Pacers vs. Thunder matchup in the NBA Finals.

It’s easy to feel like Oklahoma City is on its way to winning the title. The Pacers squandered an opportunity to go up 3-1 when they led by double-digits in the final minutes at home in Game 4 on Friday.

But this is precisely the time to back the Pacers. When you start to count them out, that’s when they surprise.

Indiana won outright as a double-digit underdog in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Pacers have trailed entering the fourth quarter in both of their wins in this series.

As the series has gone on, Indiana has proven that it’s a worthy challenger to Oklahoma City. The Pacers have demonstrated depth and balance. They have great ball movement while also limiting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to zero assists last time out.

Simply put, these teams are closer in power ratings than this spread would suggest in a pivotal Game 5. I’m happy to take the points in this one.

Game 5 prediction: Pacers +9.5 (-110)