Closing down tonight’s six-game NBA slate, the Indiana Pacers face off with the Los Angeles Clippers in a 10:30 p.m. ET tip-off.
This is the first of two matchups between these two cross-conference opponents, with neither holding their desired outlook for the season. The Pacers took a steep fall from last year’s NBA Finals run as Tyrese Haliburton continues to recover from his Achilles tear. In contrast, the Clippers elected to sell at the deadline and change their outlook for the remainder of the year.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s game, the Clippers are 12.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook and hold -650 odds on the Moneyline. The Pacers hold +470 odds of pulling off the outright upset, with the game total set at 227.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Wednesday night matchup.
Pacers vs. Clippers prediction, preview
Less than a year removed from being one win away from being crowned NBA champions, the Indiana Pacers sit in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 15-46 record on the season. Only the Sacramento Kings have a worse record in the NBA. The Pacers enter this matchup on a six-game losing streak and have lost 10 of their last 12. On the season overall, Indiana has gone 28-33 against the spread, with the game total remaining under in 34 of the team’s 61 games played.
Tyrese Haliburton headlines the injury report as he remains sidelined and continues to recover from his Achilles tear. Johnny Furphy is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, while Ivica Zubac has been ruled out for his potential revenge matchup. In addition, Andrew Nembhard is questionable with lower back and neck soreness, Aaron Nesmith is questionable with a right ankle sprain, Pascal Siakam is questionable with a wrist issue, and Obi Toppin is probable with a right foot injury.
Siakam has headlined the production for the Pacers this season, earning an All-Star appearance with averages of 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Nembhard is posting averages of 17.4 points and 7.4 assists, while Nesmith adds 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Jarace Walker has had a breakout season with 11.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists, while T.J. McConnell, Ben Sheppard, Jay Huff, and Kam Jones also play key roles.
As a team, the Pacers are scoring 111.4 points per game, which ranks 27th in the NBA. Indiana also ranks 30th in offensive rating, 28th in team field goal percentage, and 21st in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 119.6 points per game against Indiana, which ranks 25th in the league. The Pacers also rank 25th in defensive rating, 27th in opponent field goal percentage, and fourth in opponent three-point percentage allowed.
The Los Angeles Clippers hold a 29-31 record on the season, which slots them ninth place in the Western Conference. They are coming off back-to-back wins over the Pelicans and Warriors, but have lost three of their last five. On the season, the Clippers are 32-28 against the spread, and the game total is 29-31 to the over/under.
Bradley Beal remains out for the season, while John Collins has been ruled out for tonight with a foot injury. Kawhi Leonard headlines the production with 27.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Bennedict Mathurin came over to Los Angeles as the headliner of the Ivica Zubac trade package and has gotten off to a strong start. Mathurin is averaging 18.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists across his first eight games. Darius Garland, who arrived via the James Harden trade, made his debut against the Warriors and tallied 12 points, two rebounds and two assists across his 23 minutes. Derrick Jones Jr., Brook Lopez, Kris Dunn, and Yanic Konan-Niederhauser each also play key roles in the rotation.
Ty Lue’s squad is scoring 112.1 points per game this season, which ranks 26th in the NBA. The Clippers also rank 12th in offensive rating, fifth in field goal percentage, and 10th in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 112.1 points per game against the Clippers, which ranks ninth in the NBA. Los Angeles also ranks 19th in defensive rating, 11th in opponent field goal percentage, and 25th in opponent three-point percentage.
Pacers vs. Clippers pick, best bet
The outlook for the Clippers has certainly taken a hit following their decision to be sellers at the deadline. But there is still a much higher level of expected play for this Clippers team compared to the Pacers. The final injury report could shift the line a bit depending on how many of the notable Pacers end up suiting up. However, they have not fought particularly hard to keep their key players on the floor and have accepted their fate to an extent.
Indiana is 2-8 against the spread in its last 10 games and has lost its past three games by a combined 64 points. The Pacers also are 11-18 against the spread when playing on the road this season and are 11-15 as an away underdog.
There is some added drama in this matchup following the trade deadline decisions by both sides. While there do not seem to be particularly hard feelings between the two sides, this will be Bennedict Mathurin’s first chance to face off with his former team. He has been open about his excitement to play with more freedom on the floor. Mathurin’s scoring prop is set at 19.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook, which is worth playing in this game. The Arizona product has scored 20+ in three of his past six games, including tallying as many as 38 in a matchup.
Expect this to translate to team success with the Clippers producing a convincing win. Kawhi Leonard continues to crack the shortlist of best players in the league and is in the midst of arguably his best NBA season. The Clippers have only been double-digit favorites in five games this season, but are 4-1 ATS in these matchups.
Count on Los Angeles to score at a rate that Indiana cannot match and for this game to gradually slip out of reach. This is a valuable chance for the Clippers to pick up a victory in what is shaping up to be a tight race in the Western Conference Play-In. Expect talent to win out in this matchup and for the Clippers to produce a comfortable victory by over the 12.5-margin and cover the spread comfortably tonight in what should end up being a full blowout.
