Indiana Pacers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview
Where: Smoothie King Center — New Orleans, Louisiana
When: Thursday, December 15, 2016, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Indiana Pacers (+3) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (-3); total: 209.0 – view all NBA lines
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Betting on the Indiana Pacers (+3)
The Indiana Pacers had their two-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday with a gut-wrenching 95-89 loss to the Miami Heat. The Pacers had difficulty stopping Miami big man Hassan Whiteside who scored 26 points and grabbed 22 boards. It was a disappointing defeat for the Pacers who have now lost three in a row to the Heat.
They will look to get their season back on track when they lock horns with the Pelicans later this evening. The Pacers will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well against the Pelicans of late. They have won each of their last five meetings with New Orleans. The Pacers have covered the spread in all of those games as well.
It’s paramount for the Pacers that they play consistent basketball the entire 48 minutes against the Pelicans. They had a fabulous opportunity to record a season-best third straight win against Miami but unfortunately collapsed down the stretch. Indiana managed just 10 points in the final quarter of that ballgame. The onus then is on Paul George to lead the way for the Pacers tonight. With Monta Ellis still out with a right groin strain, the pressure is on George to carry the scoring cudgels for Indiana. He averaged just 14 points in two meetings with New Orleans last season.
The Pacers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games.
Betting on the New Orleans Pelicans (-3)
The Pelicans may be coming off a tough 113-109 loss to the mighty Golden State Warriors but they will still feel good about themselves heading into their showdown with the Indiana Pacers. The Pelicans came close to upsetting the league leaders, leading by as many as nine in the first half and by five points early in the final period. They are now 3-0 ATS in their last three games against the Warriors.
For New Orleans to complete the task and notch the much-needed W against Indiana, it needs to step up its play on the defensive end. The Pelicans are 23rd in the NBA in scoring defense, allowing a whopping 107.0 points per game this season. The Warriors ran riot against that New Orleans’ D with four Golden State players scoring in double figures. It didn’t help matters that New Orleans played some sloppy basketball down the stretch on Tuesday. The Pelicans committed four of their 17 turnovers in the last four minutes and also missed their final five 3-point attempts.
Speaking of outside shooting, that’s one weapon that the Pelicans can utilize against the Pacers. Prior to their late-game collapse, the Pelicans managed to hit 14 three-pointers against the Warriors. They will look to dissect an Indiana side that is ninth in the NBA in three-point defense. One guy who’s expected to contribute tonight is Anthony Davis. He leads the team not only in scoring (30.5) but also in rebounds (11.2), steals (1.7) and blocks (2.8) as well.
The Pelicans are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
New Orleans (-3) wins, 102-97.
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