3 Best NBA Finals Player Prop Bets for Thunder vs. Pacers in Game 3

Following another absurd comeback from the Indiana Pacers in Game 1, the Oklahoma City Thunder answered in Game 2 with a dominant 123-107 win. There was no surge from Indiana this time as OKC controlled the game with a comfortable cushion for most of the way. With a change in location for Game 3, we are seeing the market suggest a more competitive game for Wednesday night.

Which props stand out for Game 3? Let's dig into the best bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA betting odds and NBA player props, utilizing FanDuel Research's NBA projections to try to find value.

Player Prop Picks for Thunder vs. Pacers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 33.5 Points (-120)

Following a 38-point performance in Game 1, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned in another strong showing in Game 2 by logging 34 points. This is now four consecutive games with at least 34 points, and he's reached the mark in five of the last six.

Drawing fouls is always a big talking point for Gilgeous-Alexander. If you're one of the many expressing your distaste for his free throw attempts, I have bad news -- it probably won't stop anytime soon. During the regular season, the Pacers had the eighth-most personal fouls per game and fouls per play. SGA is logging 10.0 free throw attempts per game in the NBA Finals, which is a slight uptick compared to his 9.3 average across the playoffs.

He's shooting an efficient 49.0% from the field in this series, as well.

Indiana has thrown a trio of defenders at Shai, including Andrew Nembhard (113.0), Aaron Nesmith (113.2), and Bennedict Mathurin (118.1) -- who all have meh defensive ratings in the postseason. SGA hasn't had much of an issue against any of the defenders. Plus, the Thunder are putting the Pacers in a blender with ball screens involving Gilgeous-Alexander, drawing favorable switches.

SGA's length is apparent in this series. While Nembhard has made his chops on the defensive end, he stands at 6'4.5" with a 6'5.75" wingspan, compared to Gilgeous-Alexander at 6'6" with a 6'11.5" wingspan. Tyrese Haliburton is one of Indiana's only options who can match his size, standing at 6'5" with a 6'8" wingspan. However, this is a switch the Thunder are pursuing as Hali posted a 115.9 defensive rating in the regular season.

Regardless of whether the Pacers can keep extending this series, I don't think they will find a solution to stop Gilgeous-Alexander. He's simply a bad matchup for the Pacers, especially with Indiana's tendency to foul. After setting the record for the most total points for a player's first two Finals games, SGA can keep filling it up.

Tyrese Haliburton to Make 3+ Threes (+100)

Despite a disappointing Game 2 result, Indiana has still shot 32 of 79 from three-point land over two games (40.5%). The Pacers have been the best shooting team of the playoffs by a landslide, converting 40.1% of their looks from deep.

Meanwhile, the Thunder held the highest three-point shot distribution allowed in the regular season (per Dunks & Threes) and have ceded a 44.8% three-point shot frequency in the playoffs (45.2% in the regular season). Three-point shooting is still a clear avenue for Indiana to make this series interesting.

Haliburton is shooting only 33.3% from three in the Finals, which is on par with his 33.3% mark across the playoffs. His efficiency simply isn't where it needs to be compared to his 38.8% mark from the regular season, but it's easy to overlook some of the knocks on Haliburton's game thanks to late-game heroics. He just made three of eight three-point attempts (37.5%) in Game 2, as well.

Efficiency remains a concern, but sheer volume can still lift Hali to at least three triples. In the Eastern Conference Finals, he averaged 2.7 made threes per contest and 8.2 attempts per game. That volume is still present at 7.5 three-point shots per game in the Finals. If anything, I expect this number to rise considering OKC's propensity for allowing threes.

Our NBA DFS projections have Haliburton sinking 3.2 threes, which comes out to a 62.0% implied probability for at least three made triples (or -163 odds). Hali averaging 4.0 turnovers per game through two matchups is probably my biggest concern. If the ball is out of hands a little more than usual, this will likely take away some shots. But if Haliburton can find a way to take care of the ball, this line only becomes more intriguing.

Myles Turner Over 5.5 Rebounds (-122)

Myles Turner has been all over the place in the rebounding department during the playoffs. After recording 7.2 rebounds per game (RPG) in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Turner averaged a measly 3.2 RPG in the Eastern Conference Finals. He's recorded four and nine rebounds in the Finals thus far. Will he be productive on the glass tonight?

The inconsistency has led to a rebound prop of only 5.5. Turner totaling 6.5 RPG during the regular season generates some confidence for the over.

The Thunder finished the regular season with the 12th-lowest defensive rebounding percentage and 10th-lowest offensive rebounding rate. Turner leads the Pacers with 9.2 defensive rebound chances per game in the playoffs.

I like Indiana's chances of limiting OKC's output on the offensive boards, and Turner will likely be the heartbeat on the defensive glass. Our projections have the Pacers' starting center totaling 7.8 rebounds for Game 3. I'll take Indiana's top defensive rebounder to go over his 5.5 total.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.