NBA betting: Four bets that stand out for Tuesday’s playoff games

There are two games on tap in the NBA on Tuesday night, starting with the Indiana Pacers looking to close out their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland. The Pacers enter with a 3-1 lead after taking Game 4 on Sunday.

After that, the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder look to break a 2-2 deadlock with both teams trading wins. The action tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Here are some of the bets that stand out for Tuesday night’s games.

Odds are as of publication time. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET

Bets that stand out for Tuesday

Pascal Siakam 20-plus points (+135) The Pacers have leaned heavily on Siakam this postseason. He’s averaging 13.2 field goal attempts and 18.6 PPG in the 2025 playoffs. The Cavaliers are dealing with several key injuries, including Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley. Siakam played a crucial role in helping Indiana build a commanding lead in Game 4, and that trend should continue Tuesday night as the Pacers aim for their second straight trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. — Moody

Denver Nuggets +10.5 (-110) Even though the Nuggets are coming off a loss, this line feels a bit high. Denver has covered the spread in the last two games and is 3-1 ATS in this series. This is a battle-tested, championship-winning team, and Game 5 is pivotal. The Nuggets are also 6-1-1 ATS in their past eight games, while the Thunder are just 1-5 in their last six. Nikola Jokic has struggled so far in the series, but the three-time MVP is bound to come to life sooner rather than later. This game should be more competitive than the spread suggests. — Moody

Donovan Mitchell over 27.5 points (-105). Mitchell aggravated an ankle injury last game and played only 20 minutes, scoring 12 points in a blowout loss. But in the three games before, he had averaged 41.3 PPG as the main player keeping the Cavaliers in the series. With the Cavaliers facing elimination, I expect Mitchell to give it his best go and produce another strong effort in Game 5. — Snellings

Aaron Gordon over 23.5 total points and rebounds (-110). Gordon has quietly been playing some of his best basketball in years, even outside of all of the clutch shots that have earned him so much attention. Gordon has averaged 17.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG (26.0 P+R) in his 11 playoffs games overall, and has been even better this round against the Thunder. In his last four games, Gordon has averaged 17.3 PPG and 10.8 RPG (28.1 P+R). He has at least 24 combined points and rebounds in six of his last seven — Snellings

Projections and injury reports

Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET

All times ET.

Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers
7 p.m.

Line: Pacers +7.5 (-110) | Cavaliers -7.5 (-110)
Money line: Pacers +250 | Cavaliers -300
Total: 229.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Cavaliers by 0.8, straight up 53%, 233.5 total points.

Injury Report:
Pacers: Isaiah Jackson, (OFS – Achilles)
Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell, (GTD – Ankle)

Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder
9:30 p.m.

Line: Nuggets +10.5 (-110) | Thunder -10.5 (-110)
Money line: Nuggets +380 | Thunder -550
Total: 221.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Thunder by 4.3, straight up 64%, 228.9 total points.

Injury Report:
Nuggets: Hunter Tyson, (OUT – Ankle); DaRon Holmes II, (OFS – Achilles)
Thunder: Nikola Topic, (OFS – Knee)