Pacers vs. Lakers Prediction, Odds & NBA Player Props for 12/08

NBA Best Bet Today #1: ⭐ LeBron James Over 28.5 Points (-102) at FanDuel

It's clear we've seen a motivated LeBron James during the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. James has scored at least 30 points in each of the last four In-Season Tournament contests, including 30 points in Thursday's 133-89 win over New Orleans to advance to the championship on Saturday. 

We're going with LeBron James Over 28.5 Points (-102) at FanDuel. James has performed well in the NBA In-Season Tournament, scoring 35 against Portland, 37 versus the Rockets and 31 points in the win over the Suns before Thursday's performance against the Pelicans. Considering the run he's been on, we expect to get James' best effort in a championship game. 

Indiana's uptempo style will also provide more possessions and scoring opportunities for James. The Pacers are 39th in points allowed (124.9) and 29th in defensive shooting percentage (49%). James should thrive against this Indiana defense, so we'll gladly take the over on his player points prop.

Betting Pick: LeBron James Over 28.5 Points (-102) at FanDuel

NBA Best Bet Today #2: ⭐ LeBron James Over 8.5 Rebounds (-130) at FanDuel

Another area we will look to back LeBron James in the In-Season Tournament Championship against the Pacers is in the rebounding player prop market. James is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game this season, but with the extended minutes he will likely see in the title game and Indiana's uptempo pace, we're going to take the over on his rebounding player prop. 

We're going with LeBron James Over 8.5 Rebounds (-130) at FanDuel. The Pacers are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, ranking 28th in rebounds per game (48.9) and 20th in rebounds allowed (52.6). Indiana also ranks 25th in defensive rebound percentage (73%) and just 23rd in offensive rebounding percentage (22.7%), which should allow James to scoop up plenty of missed shots. 

Indiana also leads the league in field goal attempts per game (94.7), so with a quicker pace, there will be more possessions, resulting in more missed shots. We expect James to see a heavier workload considering the stakes, giving us a good value bet on the over for his rebounding player prop.

Betting Pick: LeBron James Over 8.5 Rebounds (-130) at FanDuel

NBA Best Bet Today #3: ⭐ Tyrese Haliburton Over 12.5 Assists (-115) at BetMGM

Tyrese Haliburton has emerged as one of the top players in the league. On the season, he's averaging 26.9 points, 12.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. We're going to look to back Haliburton in the assists player prop market for Saturday's game against the Lakers. 

We like Tyrese Haliburton Over 12.5 Assists (-115) at BetMGM. He cleared this player prop in each of the last two In-Season Tournament games, recording 13 assists in the quarterfinal win over the Celtics before finishing with 15 assists on Thursday in the semifinal win over the Bucks.

GIven Indiana's breakneck pace, Haliburton has plenty of assist opportunities with the Pacers continually pushing the ball up the court. We expect more of the same against the Lakers, which should result in a high assist total for Haliburton. The Pacers lead the league in assists per game (30.2), and much of that is due to Haliburton. Take the over on Haliburton's assist total in what should be a high-scoring final. 

Betting Pick: ⭐ Tyrese Haliburton Over 12.5 Assists (-115) at BetMGM

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