In Oklahoma City on Saturday night, the Thunder host the Pacers in what should be a high-scoring matchup. Over the last 10 games, the Thunder lead the NBA in scoring with 122.9 points per game while the Pacers rank second with 122.6 points per game. Both teams are firmly in the playoff picture, with the Thunder running away with the Western Conference and the Pacers sitting fourth in the East. It should be an exciting playoff atmosphere at the Paycom Center, so let’s take a look at my top three Pacers vs. Thunder player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook.
In the bigger picture, the Thunder are 9.5-point home favorites with the total set at O/U 236.5 points. The Thunder ruled Chet Holmgren (hip) and Aaron Wiggins (Achilles) out, while Jaylin Williams (hamstring) and Alex Caruso (back) are questionable. On the other hand, the Pacers listed Bennedict Mathurin (calf) out but are healthy for the most part aside from that injury.
Best Pacers vs. Thunder Player Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Isaiah Hartenstein to record a double-double (-145)
Hartenstein is one of the best DFS plays of the day, and he should be extra busy with Holmgren out. Hartenstein has 29 double-doubles on the season in his 52 games (56%). He has posted a double-double in five of his last six games, with the one exception a game in which he had 10 rebounds but only four points.
In each of his last four games that he played with Chet out, I-Hart had a double-double. He had 14 points and 10 boards against the Clippers, 12 points and 10 boards against the Pistons, 10 points with 15 rebounds against the Grizzlies, and 10 points and 11 rebounds against the Spurs.
This matchup should be a good one for him against Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam and the Pacers.
Aaron Nesmith 3+ 3-pointers (+150)
Nesmith had hit exactly three three-pointers in each of his last three games. He only played 19 minutes against the Wizards in the Pacers’ lopsided win on Thursday but still knocked down three triples.
He has at least three three-pointers in six of his last eight games, and he should get some extra playing time and usage on Saturday without Mathurin available. In his three games since the All-Star break without Mathurin, Nembhard has played 34.7 minutes and had a 16.8% usage rate, averaging 6.3 three-point attempts in those contests.
If you want a more conservative play, Nesmith to have over 1.5 three-pointers is -188, and he has hit at least two three-pointers in 22 of his games this season (59%) including each of his last eight contests.
Jalen Williams 25+ points (+160)
Williams just came back from a seven-game absence due to a hip strain, and he looked sharp on Thursday against the Grizzlies, scoring 20 points in 29 minutes. Before the game in which he got hurt, he had 24+ points in three of four games.
The main reason I like Williams at this alternate scoring line is how effective he usually is when Holmgren is unavailable. On the year, he’s averaging 21.4 points with a 27.7% usage rate, but in games without Holmgren, he’s averaging 22.3 points with a 28.5% usage rate. In his three games without Chet since the All-Star break, Williams averages an even better 29.3 points with a 29.7% usage rate.
In big games like this, especially at home, Williams often comes up big, so I think he has a good chance to go over this line even at these very attractive odds.
