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The Indiana Pacers will continue their Southern California trip as they battle the Los Angeles Lakers. It will be a battle in downtown LA as we continue our NBA odds series and make a Pacers-Lakers prediction and pick.
The Lakers lead the head-to-head series 65-35. Ultimately, the Pacers have split the last 10 games with the Lakers, while going 3-2 in the past five games in Los Angeles.
Here are the Pacers-Lakers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pacers-Lakers Odds
Indiana Pacers: +3 (-110)
Moneyline: +126
Los Angeles Lakers: -3 (-110)
Moneyline: -148
Over: 233.5 (-110)
Under: 233.5 (-110)
How To Watch Pacers vs. Lakers
Time: 4 PM ET/1 PM PT
TV: ESPN, Sportsnet-LA, FanDuel Sports Indiana and WTHR
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Pacers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Pacers are coming off a come-from-behind 119-112 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. At first, things looked dire for the Pacers, but they battled back and found a way to win. Somehow, the Pacers won this game despite trailing 42-22 at the end of the first quarter. Indiana responded by scoring 42 points in the third. While they allowed the Clippers to respond accordingly in the third, they flipped the switch in the fourth quarter. Doing that against the Lakers might be tougher, especially considering the purple and gold have been blowing teams out early.
Pascal Siakam dominated the Clippers, scoring 33 points and 11 rebounds. Ultimately, he will be a massive factor in this showdown with the Lakers, likely going against Jaxson Hayes or LeBron James. Tyrese Haliburton also played a factor against the Clippers, scoring most of his 14 points in the second half. He will likely be a factor against the Lakers, going head-to-head with Austin Reaves. Myles Turner survived another trade deadline and continues to man the frontcourt for the Pacers. Amazingly, the big man has been all over the boards and will likely give the Pacers the rebounding edge against the Lakers.
While the Pacers have the advantage in size, they need their guards to do some work. Benedict Mathurin had 25 points against the Clippers and will look to do more. Also, Haliburton must stay consistent. Unfortunately, Andrew Nembhard crashed back down to Earth on Thursday, garnering just four points while shooting 2 for 9. The Pacers must also make the stops on the defensive side of the ball to set up some good shooting chances.
The Pacers will cover the spread if their big men like Turner and Siakam can dominate the boards. Then, they need their guards to play well and hit their shots.
Why the Lakers Could Cover the Spread/Win
Lebron James joined the 40-point/40-year-old club on Thursday, finishing with 42 points against the Golden State Warriors, joining Michael Jordan as the only other player in history to score 40 or more points as a 40-year-old. Amazingly, he carried the Lakers while the other players struggled to hit their shots. James will have help soon as Luka Doncic will likely debut on Monday against the Utah Jazz. However, the Lakers will not have him for this game and must rely on others.
The Lakers need more from Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. While Reaves finished with 23 points against the Warriors, he also shot poorly, going 4 for 17 from the floor, including 0 for 8 from beyond the arc. Reaves made up for it by going 15 for 16 from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Hachimura had 11 points while shooting 4 for 9 from the floor but did not hit his shots as accurately as he had in previous games.
The Lakers may need to hit their shots as they will be facing a team that has struggled on the boards but has the weapons to dominate still. Furthermore, they must hit their free-throw shots.
The Lakers will cover the spread if James can continue to shoot effectively and Reaves and Hachinura contribute. Then, they need a better performance on the boards.
Final Pacers-Lakers Prediction & Pick
The Pacers are 25-24-1 against the spread, while the Lakers are 26-22-1 against the spread. Moreover, the Pacers are 15-13 against the spread on the road, while the Lakers are 14-9 against the spread at home. The Pacers are 9-9 against the spread when facing the Western Conference, while the Lakers are 9-9-1 against the spread when facing the Eastern Conference.
The Pacers used a lot of energy to rally on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Lakers held off the Warriors after leading by 24 points at one point. I think the Lakers continue their hot streak, coming out on fire and blowing the Pacers out. While the Pacers might put up a fight, I think the Lakers still have the weapons to do some major damage.
Final Pacers-Lakers Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Lakers -3 (-110)
