NBA betting: How the Tyrese Haliburton injury impacts awards races, Pacers futures - ESPN

Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton took an awkward fall in Monday night's win over the Celtics and had to be carried off the Gainbridge Fieldhouse floor. It looked devastating, but fortunately for the Pacers it looks like they avoided catastrophe. Haliburton will miss at least two weeks with a hamstring strain, and then be reevaluated to see where he is in his recovery.

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Indiana has been one of the most entertaining surprises in the league. It is 21-15, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers made the inaugural In-Season Tournament championship game. The Pacers are averaging 127.0 points, which if they can maintain would be an NBA single-season record for scoring.

Now that we know Haliburton is going to miss time, how should we modify our approach to betting Pacers games? I'm glad you asked.

If you're holding a Haliburton MVP ticket, I'm sorry. Haliburton will have almost certainly no shot to win the award due to missing this much time. He's currently +4000, tied with Jayson Tatum for sixth-shortest odds in the league. Do not bet that. It's over.

I feel similarly about those holding a Haliburton Most Improved Player ticket, too. He's currently +1800 which is fourth-shortest in the league. Do not bet that, either. Tyrese Maxey is the odds on favorite at -200, followed by Alperen Sengun and Scottie Barnes. Unless all of those players end up getting hurt for a substantial period of time, Haliburton has no chance.

Indiana has been a profitable play for bettors. It's 21-15 ATS