While most of the action in the sporting world Sunday takes place during the afternoon, there are a few events that will be held in the evening. One of those is Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals, with the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Indiana Pacers. Opening tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Paycom Center.
NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all players with 38 points in Game 1, but Tyrese Haliburton hit a jumper just before the final buzzer to lift the Pacers to a 111-110 victory. Haliburton’s shot gave Indiana its first and only lead of the game, as the team trailed by as many as 15 points earlier in the fourth quarter. Despite the stunning loss in the opener, Oklahoma City is an 11-point favorite in Game 2 per the latest SportsLine consensus odds.
In MLB, one of the most heated rivalries in all of sports continues as the Boston Red Sox visit the New York Yankees in the rubber match of their three-game series on Sunday Night Baseball. The Yankees built a big lead early in the opener and went on to post a 9-6 victory, while the Red Sox flipped the script en route to a 10-7 triumph that evened the set. New York is a -222 favorite (risk $222 to win $100) in the series finale.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Sunday, June 8:
NBA Finals Game 2: Pacers at Thunder, 8 pm. ET (ABC)
- SportsLine model pick: Thunder -11
- SportsLine expert pick: Over 22.5, -110 (Bruce Marshall)
The Thunder had their six-game home winning streak halted in Game 1, but they are an NBA-best 16-2 following a loss in 2024-25. The loss in the series opener was the first in the last 10 years by a double-digit favorite in an NBA Finals game and the model doesn’t see it happening again in Game 2, as it projects Oklahoma City to cover in 65% of its simulations.
Marshall, who is 23-12 (+980) on his last 35 picks on the total involving the Pacers, says the trend has mostly been Over for these teams in the playoffs and expects that to resurface again in Sunday’s Game 2. He believes a sloppy first half by the Pacers, who committed 19 turnovers in the first 24 minutes, helped keep the score down in Game 1.
MLB best bets, game to watch on Sunday
Red Sox at Yankees, 7:10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- SportsLine model pick: Red Sox +182 ML
- SportsLine expert pick: Yankees -1.5, -102 (Bruce Marshall)
Boston could have folded in the series opener after finding itself in a 7-0 hole after two innings but showed pride as it battled back to make a game of it. The Red Sox trailed after two frames Saturday but rallied for five runs in the third to overcome the 3-1 deficit and tacked on two more in the fourth before sealing the victory with a pair in the ninth.
However, Marshall isn’t expecting much from Boston’s offense Sunday night as it will be facing Carlos Rodon, who he feels has emerged as a viable AL Cy Young Award contender thanks to a 1.27 ERA across his last nine starts. Marshall also sees this game as a tough spot for Hunter Dobbins, as the Red Sox rookie is back into the rotation after being sent to the bullpen two weeks ago following a succession of tough starts.
More MLB best bets
- Giants +1.5 run line -190 (SportsLine model pick)
- Guardians -149 ML (Matt Severance, 60-26, +1303 in his last 86 CLE ML Picks)
- Model’s player props for Sunday
Looking ahead
Stanley Cup Final Game 3: Oilers at Panthers (8 p.m. ET Monday)
- Game 2 model pick: Under 6.5 (-115)
The SportsLine Projection Model sees a low-scoring affair for Game 3 after Edmonton and Florida combined for seven and nine goals, respectively, in the first two contests. The Under hits almost 66% of the time in the model’s simulations. No more than three goals were scored in three of the Panthers’ last four home games and two of the Oilers’ last four contests on the road.
