The Eastern Conference Finals conclude tonight with a Game 7 clash between the Pacers and Heat at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. This evening’s finale is scheduled to get underway at 8:30pm ET on TNT. The latest Game 7 Odds from offshore bookmaker 5Dimes have the defending champion Heat listed as a -7 against the spread home favorite and the Over/Under set at 180.5 points. Indiana and Miami are drawing +300 ($100 wins $300) and -360 moneyline odds ($360 wins $100), respectively.

 

Indiana, playing as a 2.5 point home dog, showed the desperation of a team on the brink of elimination when it hosted Miami for Game 6 on Saturday night. The Pacers bounced back from their ugly 79-90 Game 5 loss at the AmericanAirlines Arena with a 91-77 thrashing of the Heat in Indianapolis.

 

As a team Indiana shot 50 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from beyond the arc, but it was Paul George and Roy Hibbert that did the bulk of the heavy lifting on offense. George scored a team high 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting while Hibbert tallied 24 points on 11-of-20 shooting.

 

The Pacers also had three players, David West, Lance Stephenson, and Hibbert, grab double digit rebounds, helping the team secure a tremendous 53 to 33 advantage on the glass.

 

Miami struggled mightily to get anything going on offense as it shot just 36.1 percent against the Pacers stingy defense. LeBron James turned in another great performance, scoring 29 points to go along with six assists, but Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were absent, once again. The pair combined for 15 points (4-of-19) and one assist in the team’s Game 6 loss.

 

While the Pacers Saturday showing was impressive, it was not enough to convince either the odds makers or the betting public that they can win tonight. Miami is the best team in the league off a loss (see these numbers from RJ Bell), and it has been exceptional bouncing back from defeat in these playoffs.

 

The Heat are 3-0 following a loss in the postseason, winning by an average of 22 points per game.

 

Notable Trend: The Heat are 4-1 both straight up and against the spread in their last five games as a home favorite with a spread between 4 and 7.5 points.

 

 

Indiana Pacers +7 (-110), Over 180.5 (-110), +300 (Moneyline)

 

Miami Heat -7 (-110), Under 180.5 (-110), -360 (Moneyline)

 

What NBA and college basketball bettors need to know about making 2nd half wagers during games, with tips from Pregame.com's Bryan Leonard and host Steve Fezzik.