Gainbridge Fieldhouse hosts a matchup between the Indiana Pacers and the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday evening. The game is the fourth and final meeting between the clubs this season, with Indiana leading the season series by a 2-1 margin. Both teams are playing for the second straight night and there’s a lengthy list of absences for this one. The Nets will be without Kevin Durant (knee), Seth Curry (ankle), Joe Harris (ankle), Kyrie Irving (adductor), Nicolas Claxton (hamstring), Ben Simmons (knee/calf) and T.J. Warren (foot). Chris Duarte (ankle) is out for Indiana, while the Pacers list Tyrese Haliburton (groin) and Isaiah Jackson (knee) as questionable.
After Brooklyn opened at -1, Caesars Sportsbook now lists Indiana as a 7.5-point favorite for this 7 p.m. ET tip. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 224 in the latest Nets vs. Pacers odds. Before making any Pacers vs. Nets picks or NBA predictions, see what SportsLine’s advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 8 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 111-70 roll on all top-rated NBA picks that dates back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Pacers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Pacers vs. Nets:
- Nets vs. Pacers spread: Pacers -7.5
- Nets vs. Pacers over/under: 224 points
- Nets vs. Pacers money line: Pacers -320, Nets +250
- BKN: The Nets are 2-4 against the spread with no rest
- IND: The Pacers are 4-1 against the spread with no rest
- Nets vs. Pacers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | Indiana Pacers vs. Brooklyn Nets
Why the Nets can cover
Brooklyn has an uphill fight in this one with so many key contributors out, but the Nets will lean on players like Cam Thomas and Yuta Watanabe, who is set to return to the lineup after missing time with a hamstring injury. A win will be a tough order, but Brooklyn backers will at least hope this lineup is enough to keep the Nets within the growing spread.
Indiana is very poor at free throw prevention on defense, and the Nets also have defensive strengths. Brooklyn leads the league in 2-point defense and blocked shots, with top-six marks in field goal percentage allowed, points allowed in the paint and assists allowed, Indiana also gives the ball away on more than 15% of offensive possessions.
Why the Pacers can cover
Indiana is electric on offense, particularly in moving the ball. The Pacers have the NBA’s leader in assists per game in Haliburton (questionable), and Indiana is No. 2 in the league in assist percentage, producing an assist on more than two-thirds of field goals. Indiana is averaging more than 27 assists per game, a top-five mark in the NBA, and the Pacers are also elite in producing more than 18 fast break points per game, and the task gets much easier with all of Brooklyn’s stars on the bench.
Indiana bombs away from long distance, ranking in the top five of the league in 3-pointers, and the Pacers are securing 29% of missed shots on the offensive glass. Indiana is also facing a Brooklyn defense that is No. 29 in defensive rebound rate and No. 28 in 3-point percentage allowed. The Nets are also in the bottom five in free throw prevention, and the Pacers are elite in havoc creation on defense, ranking in the top five in turnovers, steals and blocked shots.
How to make Nets vs. Pacers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, with the teams projected to combine for 239 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. See who to back at SportsLine.
So who wins Nets vs. Pacers? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Nets vs. Pacers spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.