NBA fans couldn't have dreamed of a matchup as good as what we have for the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament Final. We have LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the underdog Indiana Pacers.
Sure, there could be matchups against "better" teams, but this one has all the drama that you want for an in-season tournament. We have the star power of the Lakers taking on the easy-to-root-for Pacers, a team that has been all heart throughout the event.
look at that bench. the Pacers have 10 players on the books who make less than $3 million in salary this season (3 two-way contracts). $500k per player to the winner of the tournament. get nuts. https://t.co/B4jPrZlPuR
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) December 5, 2023
In this article, I'm going to break down everything you need to know to bet on this game, including my best bet!
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Pacers vs. Lakers odds, spread, and total
Pacers vs. Lakers how to watch
- Date: Saturday, December 9
- Game Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena
- How to Watch (TV): ABC/ESPN 2
- Pacers Record: 12-8
- Laker Record: 14-9
Pacers vs. Lakers injury reports
Indiana Pacers injury report
- Andrew Nembhard - PG - Out
- Jalen Smith - PF - Out
Los Angeles Lakers injury report
- Gabe Vincent - PG - Game time decision
Pacers vs. Lakers key players to watch
Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton: The heart and soul of this Pacers team has been Tyrese Haliburnton, scoring 26 and 27 points while dishing a combined 28 assists over the last two games to lead the Pacers to wins over the Celtics and Bucks which has earned them a spot in the In-Season Tournament Final. As unselfish as they come, he has a chance to do something magical with the Pacer son Sunday.
Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James: It goes without saying that LeBron James is the key player for the Lakers in this game. He has surpassed 30 points in their two latest wins against the Suns and Pelicans, shooting 75% from the field in the semifinals. Haters would say that LeBron loves "meaningless" titles, so maybe this is the perfect tournament for him to shine in.
Pacers vs. Lakers prediction and pick
Keep your points, give me the Pacers to win this game outright. They're the underdog story we can all get behind, but it's not just their heart and passion that makes me want to bet on them to win the In-Season Tournament on Sunday, they can shoot the lights out as well.
The Pacers lead the entire NBA so far this season in effective field goal percentage. The Lakers, meanwhile, rank just 15th in that stat. If LeBron doesn't shine, they have nowhere else to go whereas the Pacers play as a unit that can pick each other up when they need to.
second-lowestAnother huge advantage the Pacers have that makes puts them in a great spot to win this game is their complete lack of turnovers. They cough it up on just 11.6% of their possessions, the second lowest rate in the NBA. Once again, the Lakers are subpar in this area, ranking 21st in turnovers per possession at 14.1%.
Give me the Pacers to win the first ever NBA In-Season Tournament.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
You can check out all of Iain's bets here!