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Happy Saturday basketball fans! The Brooklyn Nets travel to the Hoosier State to take on the Indiana Pacers in what should be an intriguing matchup. Join us for our NBA odds series where our Nets-Pacers prediction and pick will be revealed.
Although their 120-116 win over the Hawks yesterday did not result in the Nets covering the spread, the triumphant victory was exactly what the doctor ordered as Brooklyn continued their stellar play of late. In fact, the Nets have now secured six wins in their previous seven matchups and have now moved themselves up to the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
As for Indiana, the Pacers are coming off a solid 121-111 victory over a below-average and shorthanded Wizards squad. Nevertheless, a win is a win and another victory for the Pacers would move them past the Nets in the standings. Other than achieving a 14-12 record up to this point, Indiana has also posted an 8-4 mark on their home floor.
Here are the Nets-Pacers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Nets-Pacers Odds
Brooklyn Nets: +7.5 (-110)
Indiana Pacers: -7.5 (-110)
Over: 224 (-110)
Under: 224 (-110)
Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
Coming into yesterday’s game against the Hawks, the star power of the Brooklyn Nets had really begun to take its toll on opponents. With that being said, that is exactly what happened when the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving combined for a lethal 67 points total in the win. Even though these type of performances are usually good enough to get the Nets by, it has been announced that Irving will be sitting out Saturday night’s contest due to some left abductor tightness. Alas, with one of their top stars missing from the lineup, the rest of the roster will need to step up their game to come out victorious. Durant will be ut as well. In fact, eight players will be out.
In order to not only win for a second straight day but also to cover the spread in doing so, Brooklyn will need to buckle down defensively. Fortunately, even though they surrendered 116 points to the Hawks yesterday, the Nets are ranked within the top-ten of points allowed throughout the entire league at 110.5 points per game. Making sure that they stick to the game plan and staying committed in not letting Indiana have their way in the paint could end up being the difference in the game.
Most importantly, which playmaker is going to step up in Kyrie’s absence? In addition to Irving and Durant out, names like Ben Siommons, Seth Curry, Royce O’Neal, Joe Harris, and even T.J. Warren are expected to miss action tonight as well. Being shorthanded will prove to be difficult to navigate through, but expect some opportunities for some players to make a name for themselves if Brooklyn wants any shot to cover.
Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
After concluding the 2021-2022 season with an extremely underwhelming 25-57, the Pacers have impressed those with low expectations of this team to begin this year’s season-long campaign. In fact, Indiana is already only 11 wins away from matching last season’s overall win total and has also proven that they could be a true playoff contender when they are hitting on all cylinders.
All in all, while Indiana has kept their head above water, the Pacers are only 4-6 in their previous ten games out on the hardwood and need a jolt of confidence to embark on a winning stretch that would do wonders for this club at this point in the season.
In the win versus the Wizards, it was the Pacers’ scorching-hot shooting in critical moments that proved to be the difference. When the final horn sounded, Indiana finished with a 43% clip from beyond the arc that also included 50% overall from the field. While Indiana isn’t necessarily flashy in the scoring department, don’t be shocked if Buddy Hield goes bezerk like he did yesterday. Throughout his college and professional career, Hield has always been an elite marksman from three-point range, and after connecting on four threes in 35 minutes of playing time, the former Oklahoma standout could end up being the biggest X-Factor for the Pacers to win by at least 7.5 points.
Not to mention, it is always smart to feed the hot hand. Other than Hield, Tyrese Haliburton has been extremely solid in his return from a two-game absence due to a strained groin. With 16 double-doubles on the year and fresh off of dropping 26 points and dishing out 11 assists versus the Wizards, who’s to say that Haliburton cannot continue playing at a high level later this evening?
Final Nets-Pacers Prediction & Pick
After going 6-1 on their lengthy home stand, the Nets will carry that momentum on the road despite being short multiple players and will find a way to cover the spread in a big way to kick off the basketball weekend.
Final Nets-Pacers Prediction & Pick: Nets +7.5 (-110)