The Los Angeles Lakers travel to Indianapolis to face the Indiana Pacers in an inter-conference battle on Wednesday night. We're back with our NBA odds series to make a Lakers-Pacers prediction and pick.

The Pacers host the Lakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday night. LeBron James will be back for the Lakers after missing Tuesday night's game against the New York Knicks while serving a one-game suspension for his altercation with Pistions' Isaiah Stewart over the weekend. The Lakers sit in ninth place in the West at 9-10 and will look to right the ship with a win over Indiana.

Indy enters play sitting 13th in the East at 8-11. They've protected their home court well, however, going 5-2 at home. They are coming into this one on the heels of two straight victories, and are winners of four of their previous seven games.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here's the Lakers-Pacers odds for Wednesday night.

NBA Odds: Lakers-Pacers Odds

Los Angeles Lakers +4.5 (-110)

Indiana Pacers -4.5 (-110)

Over 217 points (-110)

Under 217 points (-110)

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Why the Lakers Can Cover the Spread

The Lakers have underperformed to start the year, but with LeBron set to return from his brief suspension, perhaps he is ready to light a fire under this team. LeBron has only been suspended one other time in his career, and his next game was a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double, during which he shot 8-for-11 from the field. If James can replicate that type of production in Indiana, there's no reason the Lakers, with their star-studded roster, shouldn't be able to compete on the road.

AD struggled in the Lakers' loss to the Knicks, scoring 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting, but prior to that, he had back-to-back 30+ point performances. Russell Westbrook starred in LeBron's absence, however, dropping 31 points, 10 assists and 13 rebounds in the loss. If he can build off of that against the Pacers, the Lakers could earn their third road win of the year.

Why the Pacers Can Cover the Spread

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The Pacers may be struggling in 2021, but they've played some of their best basketball lately, coming off a dismantling of the Chicago Bulls on Monday. What's more, they're on their home floor, where the Pacers have proven to be virtually unbeatable. Pair that with the Lakers' struggles on the road (2-5 away from STAPLES Center) and Indy's chances at defending their home court look pretty good.

Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis have led the charge for Indy this year. The point guard has scored 16 points in each of his last three games and is averaging 20.9 points per game on the season. Sabonis has eclipsed the 20-point threshold in consecutive games and will look to make it three-straight when he battles Anthony Davis on the interior during Wednesday's clash.

Final Lakers-Pacers Prediction & Pick: 

It's hard to bet against the Pacers at home, but LeBron will be playing with a chip on his shoulder in his return from suspension. With that added motivation, he should help will the Lakers to cover the spread. Take the Lakers here.

FINAL LAKERS-PACERS PREDICTION & PICK: Lakers +4.5 (-110)