The Indiana Pacers will head north of the border to Scotiabank Arena to take on the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Pacers-Raptors prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
The Indiana Pacers are coming off a 133-103 loss to the scorching Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. Lance Stephenson was the high-man for Indiana with 25 points off the bench as he was the lone Pacer to score over 20 points in that game. Tyrese Haliburton scored just nine points as his shooting struggles continued.
Meanwhile, Toronto had a massive 117-104 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers this past Thursday. Pascal Siakam exploded for 35 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Chris Boucher added 17 points and eight boards off the bench. The Raptors have now caught up with Cleveland in the league standings as they now share identical 41-32 records.
Here is how FanDuel has set the Pacers–Raptors NBA odds:
NBA odds: Pacers–Raptors Odds
Indiana Pacers: +11 (-110)
Toronto Raptors: -11 (-110)
Over: 224 (-110)
Under: 224 (-110)
Why the Pacers could cover the spread
For a rebuilding, yet talented team like Indiana, it's tough to anticipate which version of the squad you'll see on a nightly basis. This week alone is reflective of just how unpredictable Indiana could be. They beat the Portland Trail Blazers handily last Sunday, 129-98, at home. Then, they lost by one to the Sacramento Kings last Wednesday. And of course, they were pummeled by the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies on Thursday.
The normally efficient Tyrese Haliburton has been struggling from the field for Indiana as of late, averaging 9.2 points on just 36.0 percent shooting from the field over his last five. Nonetheless, he has been continuing distributing, averaging 9.0 assists over this stretch.
Meanwhile, Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes has been balling out since the All-Star Game, but has hit a bit of a rough patch in his last three games. Over this stretch, the Rookie of the Year candidate is averaging 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, while shooting just 33.3 percent from the field.
Indiana has been dealing with a myriad of injuries. Apart from the youth movement, this has also contributed to their freefall this season. The main suspects — Myles Turner, Ricky Rubio, TJ Warren, and TJ McCollum — are all still out. Chris Duarte will miss his fifth straight game due to a sore left big toe, while will sit out his second straight outing due to a headache. Goga Bitazde (sore right foot) and Jalen Smith (illness) are both questionable.
Why the Raptors could cover the spread
This is a rather wide spread to cover, but the Raptors have been one of the better teams against the spread at 41-31. Still, like the Pacers, Toronto is a tough cookie to predict. They tend to show up against some of the better teams in the league — they beat the Suns, Nuggets, and Sixers this March. On the one hand, they tend to stink it up against some of the worst teams in the NBA, which is what Indiana is right now, like they did against the Magic and Pistons in back-to-back games earlier this month.
The Raptors keyed in on a huge win over the Cavaliers a couple of nights ago. The victory had major playoff implications as it gave Toronto the same record (41-32) as Cleveland. The Cavs, however, still hold the tie-breaker and still have their hands on the 6th and final outright playoff berth in the East. Nonetheless, the Raptors have placed themselves into a spot where they can control their own destiny by finishing the season strong.
Pascal Siakam is finding his rhythm and is playing at All-NBA levels this March. This month, Spicy P is averaging 26.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, while shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 48.9 percent from deep.
As for injuries, the Raptors are still without Malachi Flynn, who is out with a left hamstring straight. Gary Trent Jr. is also listed as questionable due to a toe injury. He did participate in “light practice” on Friday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.
The good news for Toronto is that OG Anunoby is back from a month-long absence. He scored 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting against Cleveland last Thursday.
Final Pacers–Raptors prediction and pick
The losses to the Magic and the Pistons earlier this month could linger on the back of people's heads, but Toronto should be the pick here. If Siakam continues to ball out like he has this March, the Raptors should be able to cover and come away with a convincing home win.
Final Pacers–Raptors Prediction & Pick: Raptors: -11 (-110)
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