It's time for a rematch after the Pacers' Wednesday 123-114 triumph over the Pelicans. For tonight's game, home-court advantage switches to the Pelicans, a 5.5-point favorite at Smoothie King Center.
This matchup is one of the most exciting games of Friday's schedule, as both teams are trying to improve their playoff positions and have alternated wins in their last eight encounters. Let's look at the odds for the promising action on the hardwood flora in New Orleans, which is available for betting with a Caesars sports promo code.
New Orleans Relies on Collective Effort
The Pelicans have three losses in their last four games, but their 6th seed in the Western Conference is not seriously in jeopardy, considering their respectable 35-25 record. The formula for staying competitive is a blend of accurate offense and physical defense. They are not a top 5 team in any stat category, but being average consistently can pay dividends.
New Orleans scores 116.0 points per game and concedes 111.9 points per night. Their offense revolves around selected shorts, resulting in a 48.6% accuracy from the field and a 37.8% for the three-point line. Zion Williamson averages 22.4 points per game, while CJ McCollum and his 18.9 points and Jonas Valanciunas and his 13.5 points are the most productive. The secondary is reliable, especially in anchoring the defense.
One strength of the Pelicans is rebounding, with 44.4 boards a night, ranking 10th in the league. Collective effort is the approach taken by the Pelicans, and this is a team that still has not fulfilled its true potential.
The Pacers Play a High-Risk Style of Basketball
Indiana is one of the more pleasant surprises this season, comfortably sitting as the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference with an overall 34-26 record. The key to the Pacers' success is their shooting efficiency. Indiana leads the league in scoring offense with 123.9 points per contest.
This team is accurate, shooting 50.8% from the floor and 38% from beyond the arc and scoring 13.6 threes per game.
So, they led the NBA in scoring, shooting accuracy, and assists, with 31.1 dimes per game, but how does Indiana fare defensively? Protecting their perimeter is not a priority for the Pacers, judging by the 122.0 points allowed per game, ranking 28th in scoring defense. Another stat category where Indiana is not shining is rebounding, with 41 boards for the night, sufficient to rank 29th in rebounding. Indiana's style of play focuses on a fast pace, with a lot of risk, but offers big rewards if their accuracy stays consistent.
The best scorer on the roster is Pascal Siakam, whose 21.9 points beat Tyrese Haliburton by a slight margin. Haliburner is the most valuable player on the team with 21.4 points and is the main distributor of the ball with 11.6 assists per game.
Betting Prediction
Indiana hopes to sweep the series, while the Pelicans are eager to win at home. One worrying fact is that New Orleans has a 17-12 record at home. On the other hand, Indiana is not committed to playing defense seriously, which can be their Achilles heel if their shooting declines. Sports gambling apps offer -225 odds on a moneyline bet for the Pelicans and +185 odds for the same wager on the Pacers.
The total is set at 238.5 points with -105 odds for the Over and -115 odds for the Under bet. Covering the point spread is valued at a -108 betting line on the home team and -112 odds for the 5.5-point underdog Indiana. This dual promises to be exciting, and that's evident from both teams' performance on Wednesday.
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