The Pacers are in the Pacific Northwest to take on the red-hot Trail Blazers. Portland has been one of the best teams in the league over the last two weeks, a phase no one expected out of this team. With the Pacers on a streak of their own, this class could be a sleeper for the best game of the evening. Tune in at 7:00 PM PT tonight, February 4th, and check it out!
Myles Turner Questionable
Enrique Freeman Out
Matisse Thybulle Questionable
This might be one of the most fun matchups of the evening, with two young teams on hot streaks facing off. Both teams have won eight of their last ten and are on the second game of a back-to-back. This is a strange collision of teams we would have never expected to be this excited about.
The Pacers have been doing well, with Pascal Siakam leading the charge most nights. He’s been an anchor for this team. With some massive performances lately, he is shooting 40% from three, averaging 20 points and 7 rebounds. With streakiness and availability issues across the team, Pascal has been the one point of consistency. However, tonight, Portland has the personnel to hassle him all night.
Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Jerami Grant will all be in front of Pascal tonight, who may be without Myles Turner in the front court. If so, Siakam will have tp fight hard to get his numbers tonight.
Overall, the Pacers will need one of their backcourt players to show up tonight. Haliburton has been inconsistent with his contributions. He dropped 28 and 10 in the last matchup against Portland, but things have changed. Portland has returned several guys from injury. At the same time, Scoot Henderson has significantly improved his gameplay since the season started. Portland is now a thick cluster with capable players from top to bottom.
That’s not to say the Pacers can’t beat them. The books favor them for a reason. With better top-tier talent, they have a great chance to win this game. However, I’m still leaning toward Portland tonight.
Portland has been on a long home streak, and with the Pacers playing in Utah last night, we’ve seen the travel mess teams up. Even though Portland did go to OT against Phoenix last night, they also have the backups to cover for fatigue tonight. This game will likely come down to bench play. With both sides having solid rotation options off the bench, this game will be close. Expect an exciting match with Portland holding a slim advantage on rest and having home court.
Money line: IND (-225) / POR (+185)
Total Points: 234
Spread: -5.5 IND (-108) / +5.5 (-112)
The money line for Portland has been paying like a busted slot machine. Winning 8 of their last 10, they’ve been underdogs in most games. With plus money again tonight, it’s hard not to spin the wheel one more time and see if the streak continues. This is a better value bet tonight, considering the home-court advantage and the current hot streak Portland is on.
With both teams on the second night of a back-to-back, we’re unlikely to see the shots falling at a high right. If these teams play with tired legs, and no one gets hot, we’ll likely see the scores say a little more reasonable. I’d take the under all day on this matchup.
Considering how close their last game was and how Portland is playing now. This line is the safest of all the main lines. A five-point game is highly doable, considering how close most Portland games have been.
Ayton has found himself again lately. The big guys have looked great around the basket with a monster 25 points and 20 rebound performance yesterday. With the possibility of Turner out, the interior might be wide open for another big Ayton scoring night!
Scoot has been playing much better recently. Coming off the bench, he’s been a core piece in creating offense for the bench unit. His ability to attack the rim and lob pass has given him some strong nights. This line seems solid as long as the shot is average tonight for Scoot.
Haliburton hasn’t been playing spectacularly over the last couple of games. Against Atlanta and Utah, he was under this total for points and assists. Though Haliburton can take off offensively, he’ll likely have one of Portland’s top defenders on him all night. The ball might be forced out of his hands again, so the under is tempting tonight.
Secondary rebounds seem to do great against Portland. Considering how skilled Siakam is on the board, the alternate rebounding total feels solid. Especially if Turner is out, Pascal will have to pick up an even bigger workload. Expect him to have a solid night on the glass.