It’s time for the Indiana Pacers disrespect to stop, and it seems oddsmakers are finally starting to agree.
Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning 3-pointer in Game 2 — which completed a comeback from a seven-point deficit in the final minute — gave the Pacers a 2-0 series lead over the No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
TYRESE HALIBURTON WINS GAME 2 FOR THE PACERS 😱🤯
WHAT. A. WILD. PLAY. pic.twitter.com/rFsjZmtrBz
— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2025
Despite being the lower seed in this second-round matchup, Indiana has taken control the series as it shifts to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Games 3 and 4. As a result, oddsmakers at DraftKings have improved the Pacers’ odds to win the NBA Finals, pushing them from +3500 to +1800 to win the title this season.
Cleveland, on the other hand, has seen its odds go in the tank. After opening the second round at +500 to win the title, the Cavs fell to +650 after losing Game 1. But, a Boston Celtics loss in Game 1 to the New York Knicks actually positively impacted the Cavs, sending them back to +500 to win the title.
Now, things have changed. Cleveland is just +1000 to win the Finals this season, and those odds could fall further if Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter miss Game 3. All three players are nursing injuries and did not play in Game 2, leaving the Cavs unbelievably shorthanded in their loss to Indiana.
Still, Cleveland was in control for most of the game and in the final minute before an epic collapse allowed the Pacers to pull off another road win.
Even though the Cavs have better odds than the Pacers to win the Finals, oddsmakers aren’t buying them to win this series. At DraftKings, Indiana is now a -205 favorite (implied probability of 67.21 percent) to win the series and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season.
The Pacers just need to win two of the next five games to advance, and three of them will be at home.
Garland has not played for the Cavs since Game 2 of the first round against the Heat, and Mobley (ankle) and Hunter (thumb) were both injured in Game 1 against Indiana. One would expect them to try to suit up with the Cavs’ backs against the wall in Game 3, but it appears all of the injuries are fairly serious since they missed Game 2 while being in a 0-1 hole.
Indiana is looking like a sneaky bet to the win the Finals at +1800 since it has an inside track to the Eastern Conference Finals at the moment.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
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