The Pacers are hosting the Hornets on Thursday. Charlotte is favored by 12.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the game total set at 229.5 points.
Let’s dive into my preview and pick for the game.
Pacers vs. Hornets Preview
With Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) out for the season, the Pacers have unsurprisingly been one of the worst teams in the league. Indiana sits dead last in the Eastern Conference at 15–44 and ranks 26th in net rating. Pascal Siakam is leading the Pacers with 23.9 points per game, but the veteran is doubtful to play tonight due to a wrist injury. Indiana got blown out by 21 points on Tuesday against the 76ers without Siakam. The Pacers are 1–6 without him this season, that lone win coming against the lowly Nets.
Bennedict Mathurin would typically step up as a scorer with Siakam out. However, Mathurin got traded to the Clippers at the deadline for Ivica Zubac, who has yet to make his Pacers debut and remains sidelined with an ankle injury. Pouring gasoline on the fire, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) is out, and Andrew Nembhard (back) is questionable. Nembhard will try to carry if he plays — otherwise, this Indiana team is extremely depleted. Jarace Walker, Kam Jones, and Ben Sheppard have stepped into expanded roles, given the team’s laundry list of inactives.
The Pacers appear to be in full-on tank mode right now, so much so that they were fined $100,000 for violating the Player Participation Policy earlier this month. But that hasn’t changed the team’s ways. Indiana has lost four straight and eight of its last 10, and the club has set its sights on a top draft pick.
The Hornets also looked like a lottery-bound team at the start of this season, but have really turned things around. While Charlotte sits as the No. 10 seed in the East at 28–31, the team has gone 17–9 while ranking second in net rating since Jan. 1. LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges are all playing well, and the Hornets added a strong scorer in Coby White at the deadline to be the team’s sixth man.
Charlotte’s floor appears to be the play-in tournament, and the unit is coming off back-to-back blowout wins over the Wizards and Bulls — each by 27 or more points. Facing another very weak opponent in the Pacers, another dominant win is in play for the surging Hornets.
Pacers vs. Hornets Pick, Best Bet
While the Pacers are playing at home, they are so understaffed that this game should be a one-sided affair, with the Hornets running away with an easy win.
Charlotte is an NBA-best 36–23 against the spread this season and should cover the 12.5-point spread on Thursday night.
