The Indiana Pacers (1-4) travel to Barclays Center Friday to take on the Brooklyn Nets (2-3). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Pacers at Nets odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The Pacers enter their sixth game of the season with a disappointing four losses already compiled, but they’ve been mostly hard-fought games outside of their most recent 18-point defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors.
The Pacers are led by C Myles Turner and PF Domantas Sabonis, and start rookie G Chris Duarte.
The Nets have also disappointed to open the season as SG James Harden has been relatively non-existent. Brooklyn would also be sitting at 1-4 had it not made a fourth-quarter comeback against the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the season.
Former MVP SF Kevin Durant and a plethora of savvy veterans lead the preseason championship favorites.
Pacers at Nets odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:40 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Pacers +330 (bet $100 to win $330) | Nets -450 (bet $450 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Pacers +8.5 (-110) | Nets -8.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 222.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
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Pacers at Nets key injuries
Pacers
- PG Malcolm Brogdon (left hamstring) out
- SF T.J. Warren (left navicular) out
- SG Caris LeVert (back) questionable
Nets
- C Nic Claxton (non-Covid illness) questionable
- PG Kyrie Irving (personal) out
Pacers at Nets odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Nets 112, Pacers 100
Money line
PASS on the money line.
The Nets should come out on top at home. However, they just lost by double figures to the Miami Heat and were obliterated by the Charlotte Hornets earlier in the season.
They’re not trustworthy at -450, and at +330 I don’t like the Pacers much either, especially with how many points they’re being given.
Against the spread
“LEAN” to the NETS -8.5 (-110) as the better side.
Brooklyn has been taken care of pretenders so far this season, and against an Indiana team missing its second and third-best player, I expect the Nets to have their way. The Pacers likely won’t have an answer for Durant.
The Nets have only been in one game that’s been decided by single digits, and with the Pacers taking to the road after a tough loss, I expect their train wreck of a season to continue.
Harden is just too talented to note figure things out. He should find his footing soon, and when he does, the Nets will return to being one of the most feared teams in basketball.
The Nets are 1-2 against the spread (ATS) at home but are 1-0 ATS against sub-.500 teams at home. They should blow out a short-handed Pacers squad.
Over/Under
BET on the UNDER 222.5 (-107) as the best value this game holds. The Nets have been surprisingly awful offensively this season.
The team isn’t scoring if Durant isn’t. He’s averaged 29.8 points per game and the Nets as a team still rank 28th. They haven’t shown enough to bet that they’ll go off and score 120 like last year.
The Pacers started the season red hot, scoring over 120 in each of their first two games. However, it’s been ugly since, averaging just 104 points per game despite one of the three going an extra 5 minutes.
Combine the Nets’ struggles and the Pacers’ injuries, and the Under is the best play in this game.
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