Wednesday night’s matchup between the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets marks two teams desperately trying to stop a slide. Each team has lost three consecutive games and both sit in the play-in picture a quarter of the way through the season. Each team’s fans might be equally unhappy, but for different reasons; after the Nets traded forward Mikal Bridges in the offseason, they looked to be racing towards the bottom and entering the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, while Pacers fans entered the season with sky-high expectations after the team’s Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
It’s been a slow start to the season for Indiana star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who followed up a poor second half of the 2023-24 season by playing sparingly in the 2024 Olympic Games. He hasn’t quite regained his form yet; the Iowa State product is averaging 17.6 points and 8.5 assists per game on career-low 55.8% true shooting.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Pacers (-142) are slight favorites and the point total is set to 225. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bet centered around Haliburton.
Best Tyrese Haliburton Prop Bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
Tyrese Haliburton O26.5 Points + Assists (-125)
Although Haliburton has yet to live up to his lofty expectations this year, he remains one of the league’s premier passers. His 8.5 assists per game ranks sixth in the league, and his 44.4% assist percentage is unmatched. He should have an opportunity to run roughshod against a banged-up Brooklyn defense.
The Nets have given up an average of 114.7 points per game to opposing teams, a respectable 11th-worst given their position in the standings and the lack of raw talent on their roster. However, that number belies their true defensive woes, because it’s propped up by the fact that the Brooklyn offense plays at the slowest pace in the league.
Per 100 possessions, the Nets concede 117.1 points, making them the association’s fifth-worst defense. They’ll likely play at a faster pace on Wednesday night with top scorer Cam Thomas, who thrives in isolation, once again sidelined with a hamstring injury.
In particular, Brooklyn has struggled against teams who spread the ball around, allowing opponents to put up an average of 27.0 assists per game, the eighth-most in the league. This makes Rick Carlisle’s offense a particularly bad matchup for Brooklyn, as the Pacers average 325.0 passes per game, the second-highest mark in the NBA. Even on the second night of a back-to-back, expect Indiana — and Haliburton — be feasting on Wednesday night.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
