It is a loaded day of NBA action with nine games taking place throughout the day. Tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET, the Indiana Pacers will face off with the Philadelphia 76ers.
This will be the second matchup between these two Eastern Conference opponents this season. Philadelphia produced a 115-105 victory in the first matchup, which took place on Dec. 12th. They will play two more times before the season ends.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s game, the 76ers are 5.5-point favorites and hold -225 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Pacers are +185 underdogs with the game total set at 227.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Monday night matchup.
Pacers at 76ers Preview
Coming off an NBA Finals run last season, the Indiana Pacers have slipped to the exact opposite side of the standings. With Tyrese Haliburton remaining sidelined as he recovers from his Achilles tear, the Pacers are just 10-33 on the season and in last place in the Eastern Conference. Indiana has shown a bit of a spark, winning four of its past six, but this broke up a 13-game losing streak before that. On the season, the Pacers are 22-21 against the spread, and the game total has gone under in 27 of their 43 games played.
In addition to Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin will miss tonight. Pascal Siakam has done his best to keep the team afloat, posting averages of 23.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith combine for 30.1 points per game, with Nembhard leading the team with 7.2 assists per game. Jay Huff has impressed with his play of late, while T.J. McConnell, Ben Sheppard and Jarace Walker each play a role.
As a team, the Pacers are scoring 110.2 points per game, which is the second-fewest in the NBA. They rank 30th in offensive rating, 30th in field-goal percentage, 27th in three-point percentage and 10th in pace. Defensively, opponents are scoring 118.4 points per game, which ranks 24th. Indiana also ranks 18th in defensive rating and 25th in opponent field-goal percentage. It has done a nice job limiting teams on the perimeter, ranking third in three-point attempts allowed and second in opponent three-point percentage.
The Philadelphia 76ers have largely exceeded expectations on the season, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 22-18 record. They entered the year with plenty of question marks surrounding the status of Joel Embiid, but the former MVP has been more available and performing at a higher level than most expected. Philadelphia is looking to bounce back from back-to-back frustrating losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Sixers have gone 23-17 against the spread this season, and the game total has gone over in 21 of their 40 games.
While Embiid has suited up for 22 games so far this year, he and Paul George are each listed as questionable for tonight’s matchup. This is the first half of a back-to-back for Philadelphia, and neither veteran was present at the team’s shootaround this morning. Tyrese Maxey headlines the production even when the veteran stars are available, and he earned a place as an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old is leading the NBA in minutes per game and averaging 30.3 points, 6.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds. Third-overall pick V.J. Edgecombe has been an ideal backcourt pairing for him, while Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr., Dominick Barlow and Trendon Watford play notable roles in the rotation.
The Sixers are generating 116.7 points per game, which ranks 14th in the NBA. They rank 15th in offensive rating, 27th in field-goal percentage, 16th in three-point percentage and 19th in pace. Defensively, opponents are scoring 115.7 points per game, which is the 14th-best rate in the league. They rank 13th in defensive rating, 11th in opponent field-goal percentage and third in opponent three-point percentage.
Pacers at 76ers Prediction, Best Bet
Keep an eye on the injury report leading up to this game, with the status of Embiid and George likely to shift the spread a bit. Philadelphia tends to keep things close to the vest and may wait until starting lineups are announced to make an official decision. But with the back-to-back in mind, signs are pointing toward the stars missing. If you are looking to back the Sixers, which is my lean in this game, waiting until the starting lineups are announced could allow the spread to shift slightly in your favor.
However, I am avoiding a side and backing the game total to over the 227.5 line. The impact of Indiana’s offense is not the same, but it still ranks 10th in the NBA in pace. It is coming off a season-low 78 points in the previous game, in which it shot 35% from the field, 23% on three-point attempts and 52% on free throws. But Detroit offers a much higher level of defense and physicality than Philadelphia does. Indiana scored 127 points in the game before that, and it feels impossible for the Pacers to replicate these levels of shooting struggles. Expect Pascal Siakam to have some success attacking the basket and for the Sixers to allow a clearer path to the Pacers’ scoring production.
The first matchup between these two teams finished with a game total of 220. That matchup was played without Tyrese Maxey, and the Sixers’ offense took on a much different identity. On a larger scale of this season, Maxey has been the foundation of identity, pushing the tempo and being the top scoring option. Expect this to be more of the case tonight, especially if Embiid and George miss. Embiid scored 39 points in the first matchup against Indiana, but this came in more of a half-court style.
Both these teams have some defensive flaws that the other is capable of exploiting. Count on Maxey setting the tone in this game by pushing the pace to lead to plenty of scoring. The game total has gone over in six of the Sixers’ last 10 games, so back this trend to continue tonight.
