NBA Basketball
2025-06-19 - Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NBA Finals Game 6
Thursday 19th June 2025 - Scheduled 8:30pm
1:30am (British Time)
Preview
This Pick comes out a little later than others during the NBA post-season and that is largely to get over the frustration of coming up 3 points short of back to back winners.
Instead, late turnovers or missed Free Throws have seen the selections go 0-2 and you do have to wonder how the Indiana Pacers can keep fighting through the adversity of giving games away. Instead of being ahead in the NBA Finals, like they perhaps should be, the Pacers return home for Game 6 looking to stave off elimination and the end of the season.
Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard have to be highlighted for late game blunders in Game 4 and Game 5 that have effectively cost the Pacers big opportunities. They were just 4 points behind in Game 4 and with every chance of rallying when Mathurin missed two Free Throws and then committed two fouls to allow the Thunder to pull away with possession of the ball.
In Game 5 the Pacers had rallied to within 2 points of the rocking Thunder with eight minutes left to play, but Nembhard was a big contributor to a run of four straight turnovers and that ultimately ended their hopes.
Those role players may take on added importance in Game 6 with Tyrese Haliburton struggling with a right calf issue- the top Indiana player has stated he will do all he can to suit up, but he was struggling in practice and it may be up to others to step up and try and take over this game and make sure the Pacers have one more shot at winning their maiden NBA Championship.
For Oklahoma City it will be a case of wanting more of the same from Game 5 having looked the stronger team for much of the night, but still struggling to put away the Pacers. This time they did not allow the fightback at the beginning of the Fourth Quarter to distract them and the Thunder were grateful for a huge night from Jalen Williams.
The key is to continue to create the turnovers and that may be something the Thunder can do if Tyrese Haliburton is unable to go for stretches of this game.
They have not been easy to trust as the road favourite, but the Thunder are 1-1 against the spread in the two games hosted by Indiana in the NBA Finals. Momentum is with them and the last seven teams that have had a chance to close out the Finals in Game 6 have produced a 6-1 record against the spread.
After what we have seen from the Pacers throughout the post-season, and even in the last couple of games, this feels like a lot of points to be laying with the road team. However, the uncertainty about Haliburton may just have shifted things in Oklahoma City's favour even if the Indiana role players are likely to be better at home.
Prediction
The status of Tyrese Haliburton is key to the outcome of Game 6 and it sounds like he will be limited at best.
This just makes life that much more tougher for the Indiana Pacers who have blown big opportunities in back to back games and now could have issues staving off elimination and forcing Game 7 without their most influential Offensive player.
The Pick :
Indiana Pacers 104-113 Oklahoma City Thunder
