Houston Rockets at Indiana Pacers odds, picks and predictions
The Houston Rockets (15-50) and Indiana Pacers (29-37) face off Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The announcement is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET. Below, we break down the Tipico Sportsbook lines regarding the Rockets vs. Pacers and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
The Pacers have been better since the All-Star break. They’re not winning a lot of games, but they’re keeping them close. Monday’s loss to the 76ers was one of those, losing 147-143 but coming away as a 6.5-point underdog at home.
The Rockets will play for next season, and maybe the season after. They lost by 6.5 points at home to the Brooklyn Nets 118-96 on Tuesday. Houston had 19 turnovers and shot 27% from 3.
Indiana won 99-91 in Houston on Nov. 18 as a 5.5-point road favorite while shooting Un 236.5.
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Rockets on the Pacers’ chances
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; visit USA TODAY’s sports scores and sports betting odds center for a complete list. Lines were last updated Wednesday at 11:31 PM ET.
Moneyline (ML): Rockets +360 (bet $100 to win $360) | Pacers -450 (bet $450 to win $100) Against the Spread (ATS): Rockets +9.5 (-115) | Pacers -9.5 (-105) Over/Under (O/U): 236.5 (O: -110 | U: -110) Catch the excitement and bet with Tipico
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Key Pacers Rocket Injuries
missiles
G Kevin Porter Jr. (thigh) out
Pacers
F Kendall Brown (shin) out G Aaron Nesmith (groin) questionable
For the latest updates: Official NBA Injury Report.
Rockets at Pacers picks and predictions Prediction
Pacers 116, Rockets 105
Money line
Houston ranks dead last in opponent 3s attempted and made, while Indiana is surprisingly high in those categories (6th and 5th, respectively).
The Rockets have a rebounding edge with a league-best 13.2 offensive rebounds per game, but that won’t be enough to put them ahead.
With Indiana’s record, there’s actually a lot of value in picking Houston outright if you feel strongly about the Rockets. I don’t do it because I want to PASS.
Against the spread
Pacers have covered in 6 of their last 7 games and are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games on 2 days rest. G Tyrese Haliburton is expected to play and he is the center of their offense.
The Rockets have failed to cover in their last 4 games with 1 day off.
BET PACERS -9.5 (-105).
Over/Under
Trends are erratic in the overall market. For Indiana, the Under has hit in 4 straight games against teams under .400%, but in their last 7 games the Over has hit in 5 of them.
Houston’s last 5 games against teams under .500% have gone 4 of them, while against teams with a winning record at home, the Under is 3-1-1.
That being said, these teams have weak defenses. Both are in the bottom 10 in opponent shooting percentage, fast break points allowed and several other scoring categories.
LEAN OVER 236.5 (-110).
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