The Pacers are closing out a long road trip in LA, taking on the Clippers tonight and the Lakers on Saturday. Despite a rough loss to Portland in their last game, the Pacers remain one of the hottest teams in the league. Now, they’re taking on one of the most stable teams in the league; the Pacers will have to bring their A-game.
Cam Christie Questionable
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The Pacers have been thriving behind their all-star Pascal Siakam. He has been fantastic as the core of this team. He’s managed to hold the team together as Tyrese Haliburton has been up and down. With 0 points and only three shots against Portland, he’s been in a deep slump lately.
The Pacers will need him back against this strong Clippers team. They’re the definition of a savvy veteran team. This team just knows how to win games. They’re not flashy, but they get the job done most nights. Norman Powell, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard have dominated the court together. Powell, in particular, has been having the best year of his career and is elevating what this roster is capable of.
This matchup will be intriguing. The Pacers have the advantage down low with Pascal and Turner. Going against Zubac and Derrick Jones Jr, there should be a fair amount of scoring in the post. The primary contest will be between these backcourts. With Haliburton playing terribly and his defense never being his strong suit, this could be a challenging game for him. The Pacers will need their bench to do much of the heavy lifting tonight. If the starts can keep it close, the bench should give them the advantage.
Overall, the Clippers look like the stronger team tonight. They’ve been playing solid basketball, and against the Pacer backcourt, they should fight. However, unless Haliburton can overcome his shooting woes, the Pacers will struggle to win in LA tonight.
Money line: IND (+180) / LAC (-218)
Total Points: 229.5
Spread: +5 IND (-105) / -5 LAC (-115)
Clippers have been a solid team all year. They did lose a couple of games recently, but this is the type of game they thrive in. Taking on a streaky younger team, they know how to do all the little things to win this game.
Take the under. The Clippers aren’t a team that races up to 120 points, they play slow and grind out the game most of the time. Unless the Pacers put up a scoring clinic, this game will probably fall short of the 230 line.
I think the Pacers will keep it close with Pascal tonight. The Clippers don't put up many points, so Pascal’s contributions will likely keep the team close. Especially with the differences in benches, I don’t see this game turning into a blowout.
Haliburton has been struggling for three games now. Not scoring a point in their last game, his confidence is gone. Going against Powell tonight, he won’t have an easy time either.
Siakam will likely be on the court most of the night again. Pascal may be in for a big rebounding night with some big defenders at the center. Especially with how effective Zubac can be, he’s going to give Turner a hard time.
Harden has been solid all year. He will likely keep the ball moving against a team with a fairly weak defense. Even though the 10-assist line seems high, he’s been consistently doing it enough to believe in this line.
This is the fly of our prop picks. With Kawki averaging 1.5 threes made a game already, this is a coin flip. With Turner and Pascal down low, Nembhard will likely be picking him up a fair amount. That should let Leonard shoot over him all night.