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The Portland Trail Blazers (19-18) visit the Indiana Pacers (21-18) on Friday night. Action tips off at 7:10 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Blazers-Pacers prediction.
Portland has lost three of their last five games to drop them to seventh place in the Western Conference. The Blazers have covered 60% of their games while 54% have gone under the projected point total. Indiana has won four of their last five games to bump them into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers have covered 62% of their games while 50% have gone over. This will be the second and final meeting between the two teams. The Blazers took the previous matchup in Portland, 116-100.
Here are the Blazers-Pacers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Blazers-Pacers Odds
Portland Trail Blazers: +1.5 (-108)
Indiana Pacers: -1.5 (-112)
Over: 237 (-110)
Under: 237 (-110)
How To Watch Blazers vs. Pacers
TV: Root Sports, Bally IN
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Blazers Could Cover The Spread
Portland has been up in down in recent weeks and has lost five of their last seven games. They haven't defeated a playoff-caliber team in over a month and have slipped to seventh in the West. That being said, they made short work of the Pacers back in early December and have an excellent chance to cover tonight as slight underdogs. The Blazers are a well-rounded team that ranks in the top half of the league in defensive and rebounding but can struggle somewhat on offense. While they do rank in the bottom half of the league in scoring, they rank ninth in offensive efficiency thanks to an outstanding trio of scorers.
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Despite averaging just 113 points per game as a team, Portland has three individual players putting up 20+ points per game. Point guard Damien Lillard leads the way with 27.4 PPG on 44% shooting. He's lethal from beyond the arc where he averages over four made three-pointers per game and hits them at a 37% clip. Dame is also an incredible distributor, averaging 7.2 APG. He nailed five triples en route to 21 points in their prior meeting with Indiana but will likely be called upon for even more production in tonight's affair.
Backcourt mate Anfernee Simons is right behind Dame, averaging 22.4 PPG on 44% shooting. Like Lillard, Simoons is dangerous from deep. He averages 3.8 made three-pointers per game while shooting them at a 38% clip. Both Lillard and Simons could be in for big nights from deep as the Pacers allow the fifth-highest three-point percentage and are in the bottom half of the league in threes allowed. Simons, too, nailed five triples in their prior meeting with Indiana – something he'll look to replicate tonight.
Finally, forward Jerami Grant rounds out Portland's trio of scorers as he averages 22.5 PPG. The definition of a late bloomer, a 28-year-old is having a career year. He finds himself in the midst of his best outside shooting year. Grant averages 2.7 made threes per game while shooting 45% from beyond the arc. He is listed as questionable, however, and is someone worth monitoring before making a Blazers-Pacers prediction.
Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
If Indiana is going to continue their incredible cover rate tonight, they'll need to step things up on the defensive end. Although they've gone 6-2 over their last eight games, the Pacers have allowed 118.3 PPG. That's worse than their 20th-ranked season average of 116.1 points allowed per game. While they did hold the Blazers to 116 in their previous meeting, they'll need to lock things up on defense if they want to contain Portland's trio of scorers.
The Pacers' best argument for covering tonight comes thanks to their free-flowing offense. Not only does Indiana plays at the fastest pace in the Eastern Conference, but they also lead the East in assists per game. They are one of the most prolific outside shooting teams as well, ranking fifth in threes per game.
Indiana's stellar offense starts with point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Despite being just 22 years old, Haliburton has developed into one of the league's premier floor generals. For the season he's averaging 20.6 PPG and a league-leading 10.2 APG. He's incredibly efficient as well, shooting 49% from the field and 41% from three. He was unavailable for their previous matchup against Portland – and it showed. Indiana scored their third-fewest points of the season in that loss but will likely be firing on all cylinders tonight with their point guard back in action.
Final Blazers-Pacers Prediction & Pick
With Haliburton back and the Blazers reeling, I like Indiana to continue their strong play and cover as home favorites tonight.
Final Blazers-Pacers Prediction & Pick: Indiana Pacers -1.5 (-112)
