What a Black Friday special this game is. Let’s start with the bad news: There are only two teams in the NBA with fewer than three wins this season. But here’s the good news: One of those teams will have a third win by the end of the night, because the Wizards and the Pacers are playing against each other.
Who will move into 14th place in the Eastern Conference? Will anyone care? Let’s preview tonight’s game with the help of some of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Wizards vs. Pacers prediction, preview
The funny thing about this matchup for Eastern Conference bottom dwellers is that both of these teams are probably playing better basketball lately than they have all season — not that that’s all that high a bar.
Let’s start with the Wizards, who broke a 14-game losing streak on Tuesday with a very convincing 132-113 win over the Hawks. The biggest reason for the victory? Washington’s veterans finally started playing like they want to be traded to a contender at some point this season. CJ McCollum turned back the clock and dropped 46 points against Atlanta, hitting 17 of his 25 field goal attempts, including going 10-for-13 (76.9%) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Khris Middleton was the guy passing McCollum the ball, as the 34-year-old finished with a double-double of 10 points and 12 assists. Middleton has looked like an absolute shell of himself in 2025-26, but it was a nice showing for the former All-Star.
Then there’s the Pacers. It’s hard to say too many nice things about a team that comes into Friday’s action with a 2-16 record, yet Indiana has certainly looked more competitive as of late, and it’s no coincidence that this trend aligns with the return of Bennedict Mathurin. The Canadian wing has supplied the team with a consistent secondary scoring option behind Pascal Siakam, as Mathurin’s exceeded 20 points in five of his seven starts this season. In the five games he’s played since coming back from injury, the Pacers rank 20th in the NBA in net rating (-4.1), as opposed to 29th (-11.7), where they sit for the season as a whole.
Also, while Indiana isn’t directly on the heels of a win like Washington, the Pacers did almost beat the red-hot Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Indiana even had the lead in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, though the team would eventually fall thanks to Brandon Ingram’s game-winning buzzer-beater. The Pacers were held to just 95 points in that contest, which makes some sense, as the squad owns the East’s worst offensive rating (106.0). They simply can not score.
Wizards vs. Pacers pick, best bet
Best Bet: Under 239.5 (-110)
While I believe the Pacers will win this game, I’m hesitant to ever take the over on a total this large with a team that ranks 29th in the NBA in offensive rating (106.0). The Wizards check in at 27th (109.1), by the way. I understand not trusting Washington’s defense all that much, either, but Indiana is 11-7 to the under for a reason.
