The NBA season is officially underway and opening week carries on with an in-conference matchup between the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers. Our NBA odds series continues with a Wizards-Pacers prediction and pick.

The Washington Wizards come into this season, staring down the fewest projected win total and the longest odds to reach the NBA Finals. This is because the Wizards committed to what appears to be a complete rebuild during the offseason. Shipping out Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal paves the way for a youth movement in this 2023-24 campaign. Now led by Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma, the Wizards will try to defy these low expectations by taking care of the Pacers on their opening night.

Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers can potentially surprise the league this season. With their core group of players returning, this team could have a breakout year under head coach Rick Carlisle. To do so, point guard Tyrese Haliburton must keep up his All-Star-level play. The league noticed last year, and now everyone is watching as they start this season at home against the Wizards.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Wizards-Pacers Odds

Washington Wizards: +5 (-110)

Indiana Pacers: -5 (-110)

Over: 235 (-110)

Under: 235 (-110)

How to Watch Wizards vs. Pacers

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Wizards Could Cover The Spread

There might not be anyone in the league who is more excited for this new season to begin than Jordan Poole. While the success of his current team will be drastically different than that of his former team, he will finally be thrust into the role of number one playmaker and scoring option for a team. He has never averaged more than 30.0 minutes per game in a season, yet he has a career per 36-minute stat line of 21.6 points and 4.7 assists per game. Additionally, he averaged 19.3 points in just 22.3 minutes per game in the four games he played this preseason. Adding 13 30+ point games from a season ago further shows how ready he is for this role. Poole is prepared to lead this team in their rebuild, and it all starts on night one.

What the Wizards lack in star power, they make up for with their depth. Washington has the ability to go as many as 11 to 12 players deep when their team is fully healthy. A key strength of this team is that the young players coming off the bench, such as Bilal Coulibaly, Corey Kispert, Deni Avdija, and Johnny Davis, complement the veteran bench players like Danilo Gallinari, Delon Wright, and Mike Muscala very well. The Wizards can cover the spread and beat the Pacers straight by keeping Indiana guessing with different lineup combinations because this team is as deep as they come.

Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread

It is always challenging to begin a season with players plagued by injuries, and luckily for the Pacers, their guys are fully healthy and ready to go. Unfortunately for the Wizards, they find themselves in a different situation. Guards Landry Shamet and Johnny Davis have already been ruled out for the contest. And even though Kyle Kuzma has been cleared to play, he carried an injury designation for the final week of the preseason due to a calf injury. With the Pacers at full strength on all ends, it immediately gives them a clear advantage.

As for the offseason in Indiana, they had one of the more successful summers that the media did not talk about. They had minimal roster turnover, so they were able to retain key players such as Myles Turner and Buddy Hield to keep team chemistry high. But they also added some critical pieces. In the draft, they selected Jarace Walker with the eighth overall pick, acquired Obi Toppin via a trade with New York, and signed NBA Finals hero Bruce Brown to a two-year contract. This team has a great blend of players who can compete with anyone in the league.

Lastly, they are led by one of the most electric young players in the league, Tyrese Haliburton. Since he plays in a smaller market in Indiana, he is not talked about as much as he should be. At just 23 years old, he has elevated himself into arguably the best pure passer and facilitator in the league. With him at the helm, the Pacers have the advantage over most teams in the NBA.

Final Wizards-Pacers Prediction & Pick

On the surface, this may seem like a meaningless matchup between two teams who are unlikely to amount to much this season. However, this is an exciting opportunity to see what two teams with very bright futures have to offer. The new-look Wizards can potentially be an offensive powerhouse this season, with Poole and Kuzma surrounded by sharpshooters like Kispert, Gallinari, Avdija, and more. However, this season's construction of the Pacers team has the potential to inflict some serious damage around the league, and they will start their season at home by sending a message. I will be taking the Pacers -7.

Final Wizards-Pacers Prediction & Pick: Indiana Pacers -5 (-110)