Myles Turner and the Pacers will try to snap their two-game losing streak tonight against Pascal Siakam and the Raptors at 7:30 p.m. ET. Indiana is on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference playoff standings, while the Raptors are locked into the play-in tournament as the No. 9 seed. The Pacers are looking to sweep the three-game season series from the Raptors after defeating Toronto twice in Indianapolis.
In their last matchup on Jan. 2, the Pacers defeated the Raptors 122-114 thanks to seven double-digit scorers, including rookie Benedict Mathurin, who had a team-high 21 points (6-9 FG, 2-2 3pt). Gary Trent Jr. led Toronto with a game-high 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field and 5-10 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Pacers’ (32-40) playoff hopes are hanging on a thread with 10 games left in the regular season, trailing the Bulls by 2.5 games for the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference. Indiana does not play the Bulls anymore this season, so they can’t afford to lose many more games if they hope to make the postseason.
The Raptors (35-37) are coming off a seven-point road loss to the Bucks last weekend, but they are holding onto the ninth spot in the East with 10 games to go. Heading into tonight’s game, Toronto is only a half-game up on Chicago (10th seed) and a game behind the Hawks for the eighth spot.
Can the Pacers take the season series from the Raptors, or will Toronto continue to play well at Scotiabank Arena? Below, we’ll break down this Eastern Conference matchup while giving our prediction and best bets for basketball fans looking to win some cash.
Pacers vs. Raptors odds, picks, predictions
- Spread: Pacers +9.5 (-115); Raptors -9.5 (-105)
- Over/Under: 234.5
- Moneyline: Pacers +310; Raptors -400
To no one’s surprise, the red-hot Raptors are almost double-digit favorites tonight against the Pacers. Toronto is outscoring teams by 9.6 points per game over their recent seven-game win streak, and they’ve also gone 6-1 against the spread during that stretch.
Along with their recent success at home, another reason why Toronto is a noticeable favorite tonight is Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton is “questionable” with an ankle injury. Haliburton has missed the past five games, leading to a 2-3 record for the Pacers. If Haliburton doesn’t play tonight, it could be tough sledding for Indiana, who need his scoring and playmaking on the floor at all times.
The Pacers have not played well on the road this season (13-23) and are 17-19 ATS. They are also 14-15 ATS as a road underdog and 10-19 straight up on the moneyline. That being said, our best bet for tonight’s contest is Raptors -9.5. If Indiana doesn’t have Haliburton, it will be tough for them to generate enough offense against the Raptors, who are scoring 119.5 points per game in their past five games. Toronto is dealing with its own injuries as Precious Achiuwa (hamstring), Gary Trent Jr. (elbow), and Scottie Barnes (wrist) are all listed as “questionable.” However, they have most of their core starting lineup locked in for tonight’s contest.
Best Bet: Raptors -9.5
Best player prop bet for Pacers vs. Raptors: Buddy Hield OVER 15.5 points (-105)
If the Pacers are without Haliburton for the sixth-straight game tonight, they will need Hield to put up a lot of shots tonight and help carry the offensive workload. In his past 10 games, the veteran shooter is producing 15.5 points per game on 49.1 percent shooting from the field and 42.4 percent from three. He has gone OVER 15.5 points in five out of his past 10 contests and is scoring 15.4 points per game in Indiana’s past five games. In the Pacers’ first two meetings against the Raptors, Hield has scored 19 points (7-11 FG, 4-7 3pt) and 22 points (8-15 FG, 5-11 3pt).