Lakers vs Pacers prediction: NBA In-Season Tournament picks

The NBA In-Season Tournament wraps up on Saturday night from Las Vegas as the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers will play for the inaugural NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. It is worth noting that this is the only game in the tournament that will not count toward the overall standings.

Los Angeles advanced to the final after a dominating 133-89 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night. It was a relatively close game until the Lakers exploded in the third quarter, outscoring New Orleans 43-17 and extending their lead to as many as 39 points.

Indiana had a much tighter game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but the Pacers rallied from a second-half deficit to win 128-119.

The talk of the tournament has been the play of Tyrese Haliburton, who is quickly ascending to superstar status. He led the Pacers with 27 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds. Myles Turner is also finding his way as one of the better big men in the league; he had 26 points and 10 rebounds against the Bucks.

Caesars Sportsbook, the official odds partner of Bet.NOLA.com, lists the Lakers as 4-point favorites with an over/under of 240.5.

Indiana Pacers vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. CT (ESPN)

Over/Under: 240.5

Moneyline: Los Angeles -190, Indiana +158

Analysis:This might have been the best matchup the NBA could’ve hoped for heading into the tournament. The Lakers are royalty in the league, led by King James. Meanwhile, the Pacers are a small-market team on the rise and Haliburton might be the best player in the world that no one talks about. He’s going to get his chance on the big stage and expect another monster game.

However, James is all about his legacy at this point and adding the first NBA Cup to his resume will be another accomplishment in the list of many for the 38-year-old forward who just doesn’t want to slow down. It doesn’t hurt that Davis is playing at an extremely high level right now either. This should be a lot of fun, but expect the Lakers to pull away in the final five minutes.

Prediction: Lakers 119, Pacers 112 (Under 240.5)

Best bet: Lakers -4 (-110 at Caesars)