Thunder vs. Pacers Best Prop Bets for Game 3 of NBA Finals (Fade Haliburton, Jalen Williams)

Should bettors trust Jalen Williams in Game 3?

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams is an interesting prop target in Game 3. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Should bettors consider fading Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Williams in Game 3 of the NBA Finals? 

It’s certainly on the table, as neither All-NBA player has gotten off to a great start, even though Haliburton did hit a game-winning shot in Game 1. The star guard is averaging just 15.5 points and 6.0 assists per game in the Finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder evened the series with the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, but now things shift to Indiana for a crucial Game 3.

Using some of the data from the first two matchups in this series, I’ve narrowed down three players to bet on in the prop market on Wednesday night. 

Best Prop Bets for Thunder vs. Pacers

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Jalen Williams UNDER 21.5 Points (-125)
• Tyrese Haliburton UNDER 8.5 Assists (-145)
• Isaiah Hartenstein OVER 7.5 Rebounds (+100)

Jalen Williams UNDER 21.5 Points (-125)

Jalen Williams had 19 points in Game 2 of the Finals, but he’s failed to clear 21.5 points in 11 of his 18 games this postseason.

The Thunder star is shooting just 11-for-34 in this series, and he’s shot under 42 percent from the field since the start of the second round of the playoffs.

While the volume will likely be there for Williams, he only has four games with 22 or more points since the start of the Denver series. I can’t trust him to clear this line – on the road – in Game 3. 

Tyrese Haliburton UNDER 8.5 Assists (-145)

So far in this series, Haliburton has just six assists in each of the two games, falling way short of his postseason average of 9.3 assists per game.

The star guard has seen his potential assists fall from 15.4 per game to 14.0 per game in this series, and he’s been playing off the ball quite a bit because of the Thunder scheming to keep him out of actions.

This postseason, OKC is allowing just 21.8 assists per game (the sixth-best mark in the playoffs), and the Thunder are holding opponents to an NBA-best 42.9 percent from the field in the playoffs.

As a result, the Pacers have struggled to convert off of many of Haliburton’s passes, registering just 12 made buckets on 28 assist chances.

I think this number is a little high – even at home – in Game 3. 

Isaiah Hartenstein OVER 7.5 Rebounds (+100)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Hartenstein should dominate the glass again in Game 3: 

The Thunder decided to bench Isaiah Hartenstein in this series, but it hasn’t stopped the center from having a major impact in a bench role.

Hartenstein is averaging 8.5 rebounds per game in this series, clearing 7.5 boards in both contests. He played more in Game 2 than he did in Game 1, registering eight rebounds (three offensive) in just over 22 minutes.

Despite the limited minutes, Hartenstein is still averaging 13.0 rebound chances per game in this series. The Pacers are grabbing just 48.1 percent of available boards this postseason, so I expect Hartenstein to continue to dominate the glass in his playing time in Game 3.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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