After splitting a back-to-back in Toronto with the 76ers, the Raptors will head on the road to take on the [checks notes] …red-hot Pacers? You read that correctly. Indiana is still tied for last place in the NBA with nine total wins, but three of those victories have come in the team’s last three games, including a clutch 98-96 result on Monday against the Celtics.
That said, the Pacers did lose 13 straight games prior to this mini win-streak, so maybe we all shouldn’t get too excited.
Who will come out on top of this mid-week Eastern Conference battle? Let’s preview this game with the help of some of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Raptors at Pacers prediction, preview
One of the main reasons for the Raptors’ fantastic start to 2025-26 was health. Aside from a few maintenance days for Jakob Poeltl’s back, Toronto pretty much had every man at its disposal in October and November, and that translated into great results. However, that has not been the case in recent weeks. Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram have both recently missed games with minor ailments, while RJ Barrett (ankle) is back on the shelf with a long-term injury after missing most of December with a knee issue. Poeltl’s only logged six minutes since December 16, and now Ja’Kobe Walter (hip) is in street clothes after leaving Sunday’s victory over Philadelphia early. Heck, even Sandro Mamukelashvili and Immanuel Quickley are now questionable for tonight’s tilt with an illness and back spasms, respectively. The Raptors’ injury report is getting full very, very quickly.
Still, there’s no team in the NBA with worse injury luck than the Pacers, who have gone from a half of basketball away from a championship to dead-last in the Eastern Conference. The loss of Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) has loomed large all season, while the sporadic availability of Bennedict Mathurin (thumb) hasn’t helped matters much, either. That’s not to say there haven’t been any silver linings. Jay Huff has emerged as a real rotation piece for Indiana, leading the league in blocks by a pretty significant margin (85). Huff also showed his offensive value in the team’s aforementioned victory over Boston, shooting 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and finishing with a season-high 20 points.
Toronto’s recently had to rely on unexpected contributors at the five, as well. Collin Murray-Boyles was the ninth-overall pick in this past summer’s draft, so his presence in the Raptors’ rotation isn’t shocking, yet I don’t think a lot of people envisioned the 20-year-old, who’s listed at 6’7, starting opposite the likes of Joel Embiid. Despite his lack of size, Murray-Boyles has shown flashes in January. CMB has started all six contests Toronto has played, and the rookie is averaging 10.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 60.9% from the field. He’s also playing amazing defense alongside DPOY candidate Scottie Barnes. In fact, with both Murray-Boyles and Barnes on the floor this season, the Raptors are only allowing 104.3 opponent points per 100 possessions.
Raptors at Pacers pick, best bet
Best Bet: Raptors -2.5 (-112)
Even with the Pacers’ recent success, the Raptors have the better net rating in the month of January (+3.0). Toronto is also already 2-0 against Indiana this season, including an 18-point win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse back on November 15. If the Raptors are serious about being a top-six seed in the East, these are the types of games they need to win.
