NBA Preview: Indiana Pacers vs. Toronto Raptors
The Indiana Pacers (6-7) look to get back to .500 in the NBA when they face the struggling Toronto Raptors (2-12) on Monday, November 18 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, who need a positive spark this season also. The Pacers are favored to win with a point spread at -3.5 (-115).
Indiana Pacers Betting Preview
The Pacers are coming off a 119-110 victory over the Miami Heat, which ended their two-game losing streak. After suffering a 124-111 defeat to the Heat a few nights before, they were able to quickly regroup and turn this game in their favor.
Myles Turner scored a season-high 34 points to lead them strong offensively. This was another back-and-forth matchup between these two teams, as the Pacers only won half of the four quarters but were able to make their differences matter.
They were able to connect on 51.8 percent of their shots from the field while connecting 44.8 percent from three-point range. They turned the ball over 11 times, but made up for it by forcing 11 turnovers.
The Pacers have put up 113.6 points a game this season, ranking 13th in the league. On defense, they have struggled in allowing 117.2 points a game which ranks 25th. They have an opportunity to make this average a little better against a struggling Raptors’ team.
Toronto Raptors Betting Preview
The Raptors have not won a game since November 2 and have lost their last seven matchups. Their latest defeat was a 126-123 overtime thriller against the Boston Celtics, in which Jayson Tatum nailed a three-pointer to end the game in overtime.
Jakob Poeltl led them in scoring and rebounding, with 35 and 12, respectively. RJ Barrett also had a great night, with a triple-double of 25 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds.
They shot 51.0 percent from the field and landed 39.1 percent of their shots from deep. They coughed up the ball nine times but were able to force nine turnovers in return to balance things out. If their defense was slightly better to hold the Celtics to less than 44.4 percent shooting, this game could have gone their way.
Offensively, the Raptors are solid, averaging 112.2 points a game, and rank 16th. On defense, they struggle, allowing opposing teams to score 119.6 points, which puts them at 27th.
Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick
The Indiana Pacers vs. Toronto Raptors matchup has odds brought to you by MyBookie, which currently shows the Pacers as 3.5-point favorites. Market trends reveal the Pacers having a 71.4 percent chance of winning this game.
Not only do the odds and trends show good signs for the Pacers to win, but they should be able to cover the spread with ease based on their momentum. The Raptors have not had a lucky bounce in a while and this matchup should not end well for them.