The Indiana Pacers will play in their first NBA Finals game since 2000, when they lost 4-2 to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pacers are 6-2 on the road this postseason and can add to that trend tonight in Game 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET against the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
Myles Turner is one of the best shot blockers in the NBA, and he has taken it up a level in the postseason. Turner went from averaging two blocks per contest to 2.3. Here is my favorite prop bet for Turner against the Thunder tonight.
Myles Turner over 1.5 Blocks (-135)
Since it is hard to rely on Turner’s scoring on a nightly basis, let’s look at another area of his game. Turner has seven games in the playoffs this year with three-plus blocks. He is coming off a rare zero-block outing against the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. On DraftKings Sportsbook, you can get Turner to bounce back and total over 1.5 blocks at -135.
Turner has recorded at least two blocks in three of his past five matchups and nine of 13 against the Thunder. He has hit this mark in four of his previous five games. Turner hasn’t had back-to-back games with fewer than two blocks in the playoffs. The last time he was held under 1.5 blocks in two straight games was March 29.
In this series, Turner will face two talented big men, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. But with Turner’s edge in experience, it will give him a leg up against the competition. Even when he isn’t scoring the ball well, he has affected the game at a high level on the defensive end with his unreal shot-blocking ability.
