Pacers Seeking Upset IST Final Win Over Lakers
NBA In-Season Tournament Finals
The Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers have made the NBA In-Season Tournament Finals on Saturday.
The odds have the Lakers favored at -4, but the Pacers have already scored two big upsets en route to the NBA In-Season Tournament final.
It’s an intriguing game for the inaugural IST.
Pacers vs Lakers 
Day/Time:
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Streaming: ABC/ESPN2
Taking Down Heavyweights
The Pacers don’t care what the NBA In-Season Tournament odds suggest. They have taken down the heavyweights of the Eastern Conference.
Their finals campaign started with a 122-112 win over the Boston Celtics before handling the Milwaukee Bucks 128-119 with a late flurry.
They are arguably the two best teams in the NBA, so the Pacers can’t be overlooked at the +4 line.
Tyrese Haliburton’s NBA player stats are off the charts. He’s one of the more promising players, and it was his offensive injection in the fourth quarter that won them the game against the Bucks.
“We’re playing the right way, and we’re shocking the world right now, we’re going to continue to do that,” Haliburton said. “And as long as we play the right way, we know we’re going to be in every basketball game.”
The NBA In-Season Tournament Finals has allowed everyone to see how good the Pacers can be, especially if Haliburton continues to shoot lights out.
He’s averaging 26.9 points per game, and when the Bucks took the lead in the fourth quarter, it was Haliburton stepping up and making shots.
His confidence is through the roof, and he could lead the Pacers to the win over the Lakers.
Lakers Finding Groove
Beating New Orleans 133-89 is an excellent form guide, so the Lakers are worthy favorites.
The NBA playoff schedule might get taxing for a team as old as the Lakers, which is why the In-Season Tournament is right up their alley.
The short format plays into their hands, and it’s none other than LeBron James who is thriving.
He comes off a top showing in the semifinal, and they’re slowly improving their against the spread record, which sits at 11-12.
The Pacers are better at 12-8, but the Lakers are finding their groove, and they’re peaking at the right time.
The NBA In-Season Tournament Finals didn’t start so easily when scraping past the Suns 106-103, but it was a cruisy effort against a lackadaisical Pelicans outfit.
“I think we are starting to get a feel for what we need to become an NBA team for us to win basketball games, to be consistent,” James said. “Defensively, we’re really, really starting to tap into that.”
Upset on the Cards
As well as the Lakers are playing, we’re backing the Pacers to cover the spread.
They’re playing with extreme confidence, and they’re a team good enough to take down the old heads at the Lakers.
Given it’s a neutral site game, there is no home advantage for the Lakers, so take the Pacers to prevail.
The total points line is 241, and we’re backing the under. The final should be a much tighter game, and the defenses could show up.
For NBA betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
