The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers are about to face an East-West duel. The Thunder are perfect against Eastern Conference opponents this season, not to mention the NBA Cup Championship, which doesn’t factor into the regular season standings.

This is a battle between two hot teams, as the Pacers are coming off a season-saving road trip to get back to .500 and heading in the right direction. The Thunder are on an eight-game winning streak and have a 9-1 record in their last 10 games.

Oklahoma City will be without two important rotation players in Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso. While the Thunder had already planned to be without Holmgren for much of the regular season, the setback against Caruso hurts. The defensive ace provides a different edge and intensity off the bench while limiting offense, which is a nightmare for scorers, all of which are extremely important in away competitions.

The Pacers will have Myles Turner on the roster after listing him as questionable throughout the day. However, despite its size, Indiana still ranks 29th in rebounds per game. This opens the door for Isaiah Hartenstein and Co. to continue to control the glass and help the Thunder to a win.

Oklahoma City will need to shoot the ball well from 3-point land, which will be a tall order. The Thunder have struggled offensively for some of these eight games, and on the road it will be difficult to keep up with Indiana’s top 10 3-point shooters.

However, the Thunder should have at least two of the top three players on the field and their depth should be enough to pull off a win. With FanDuel holding the line at five points toward Oklahoma City, this scribe would advise throwing a small amount on the favorites, which could easily disorient the Pacers’ turnover-prone lineups, leading to easy points and a big road win.

The bet: Thunder -5

The record: 10/18/1

The game odds are updated regularly and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and needs help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

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