The Indiana Pacers (25-28) play the second half of a back-to-back Wednesday against the host Houston Rockets (14-40) at Toyota Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Pacers-Rockets odds and lines, with NBA picks and predictions.
Indiana had its three-game win streak snapped Tuesday by a Los Angeles Clippers team missing SF Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers won 126-115 in Indiana as 3-point road favorites. In the past two weeks, the Pacers are 4-4 straight up and 3-5 against the spread, but they lost by double digits in their previous three defeats.
Houston has lost three straight games and eight of its past nine contests while going 4-5 ATS entering Wednesday.
The Pacers beat the Rockets 114-107 as 3-point home favorites earlier this season, but four of Houston’s starting 5 are no longer with the team and its second-leading scorer in that game—SG Eric Gordon—isn’t active for this contest.
Pacers at Rockets: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:35 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Pacers -190 (bet $190 to win $100) | Rockets +155 (bet $100 to win $155)
- Against the spread/ATS: Pacers -4.5 (-110) | Rockets +4.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 233.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Pacers at Rockets: Key injuries
Pacers
- C Myles Turner (ankle) questionable
- SF Doug McDermott (ankle) questionable
Rockets
- PG D.J. Augustin (ankle) out
- SG Sterling Brown (knee) out
- SG Eric Gordon (groin) out
- SF David Nwaba (wrist) out
- SF Danuel House Jr. (ankle) out
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Pacers at Rockets: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Pacers 119, Rockets 116
Money line (ML)
PASS because I can only “lean” Rockets plus the points and cannot justify betting Houston to win despite Indiana’s inconsistent 2020-21. The Pacers have a winning road record (16-12) but are just 9-16 at home.
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Against the spread (ATS)
The market has consistently overvalued the Pacers this season hence their 11-18 ATS record as a favorite and Indiana’s current 1-7 ATS skid as a favorite.
Not only that but what gives me hope in Houston plus the points in this spot is the edge it has in the frontcourt. Turner is a legit defensive presence inside the paint and his game status is questionable.
Also, Rockets PF Kelly Olynyk has done an awesome job defending Pacers All-Star PF Domantas Sabonis when they met while Olynyk was playing with the Miami Heat.
Sabonis is averaging just 15 points per game on 44.4% shooting in his two games against Olynyk this year; however, the terribleness of Houston cannot be overstated so I can only “LEAN” ROCKETS +4.5 (-110) for a half-unit.
Over/Under (O/U)
“LEAN” to the OVER 233.5 (-110) for a half-unit for a couple of reasons.
First, neither one of these teams is playing any defense recently—five of Houston’s last six games have gone Over the total and Indiana has gone Over in three of four.
Also, both teams play at a top-7 pace so we should be in for a lot of possessions, which leads to more points.
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