Pacers-Wizards best bets, props: Westbrook, Sabonis will dominate
The Pacers and Wizards match up Thursday in the final Eastern Conference play-in game. The winner nabs the No. 8 seed in the postseason and gets a date with the 76ers; the loser, meanwhile, can officially begin scheduling tee times on the golf course.
Here are the top betting angles and player props for the entertaining tilt.
Pacers @ Wizards (-3.5, 237.5)
If this meeting between Washington and Indiana is anything like the three that occurred during the regular season, expect the scoreboard operator to have zero breaks.
The two clubs effortlessly went over the total in all three games, cashing by an average margin of 30 points.
Pacers-Wizards' last 3 meetings
| Final | Closing Total | O/U | O/U Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAS 132-124 | 230.5 | Over | +25.5 |
| WAS 154-141 | 245.5 | Over | +49.5 |
| IND 133-132 | 250 | Over | +15 |
Washington owns the third-worst effective field-goal percentage (53.1%) among teams still competing, but that hasn't mattered against a Pacers defense allowing the most paint points per game this season (53.9).
The Wizards want to run up and down the court. They play at the fastest pace in the NBA, and it's not close: Their 106.4 possessions per game are two more than the next-fastest offense (for context, the No. 2 and No. 8 teams in tempo aren't even separated by two possessions).
The Pacers will welcome this type of matchup - a year after finishing No. 18 in pace, the unit's up to No. 5 and playing a more frenetic style. Indiana's the top "over" team in basketball (45-27-1 OU, 62.5%) and the only club nailing north of 59% of them this season.
Not to be outdone, the Wizards are 11-1 to the over in their last 12 games versus teams with losing records.
Defense will be optional.
Pick: Over 237.5
Player props
Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook was a cheat code in 2020-21. Following a slow start, the nine-time All-Star ultimately averaged a triple-double over the course of the campaign, registering 22.2 points, 11.7 assists, and 11.5 rebounds per game.
Westbrook notched a triple-double in six of his final seven regular-season contests, getting shut out against the Celtics in Tuesday's play-in. He was limited to 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting with 14 rebounds and five assists.
Bettors should anticipate a bounce-back here.
The crafty guard went off against Indiana in the regular season, averaging 27.3 points, 20.0 assists, and 18.0 rebounds per game.
Washington's offense as a whole recorded only 17 assists against Boston, but this is a much better draw. The Pacers are in the bottom third of assists per made field goal and give up the fourth-most dimes per game to point guards.
Pick: Russell Westbrook over 13.5 assists
Westbrook isn't the only one going off in this series. Enter Domantas Sabonis, who quietly averaged 32.3 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 9.3 assists against the Wizards this season.
Washington's defense allows the sixth-most total rebounds per game, including more than 16 to centers. This is a good spot for Sabonis to go bonkers on the glass.
Pick: Domantas Sabonis over 14.5 rebounds
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.