The Portland Trail Blazers (32-28) drop by Bankers Life Fieldhouse Tuesday for a 7 p.m. ET tip-off against the Indiana Pacers (29-31). Below, we analyze the Trail Blazers-Pacers odds and lines, with NBA picks and predictions.
Portland has lost five in a row (2-3 against the spread) and seven of eight including back-to-back losses to the Memphis Grizzlies Friday and Sunday.
The Blazers have slid down to the 7 seed in the West (seeds 7-10 participate in the postseason play-ins), 1 game behind the sixth-place Dallas Mavericks.
Indiana has won three straight following a three-game losing skid and is 3-3 ATS in those contests.
The Pacers are comfortably in ninth place in the East, 2.5 games back of the 6th-place Boston Celtics, but 3.5 games ahead of the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors, who are tied for 11th place.
Indiana trounced Portland 111-87 in the first meeting this season back in January. Pacers All-Star PF Domantas Sabonis scored 23 points on 55.5% shooting with 15 rebounds and 5 assists in the win, but he is currently out with a back injury.
Trail Blazers at Pacers: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:24 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Trail Blazers -190 (bet $190 to win $100) | Pacers +155 (bet $100 to win $155)
- Against the spread/ATS: Trail Blazers -4.5 (-110) | Pacers +4.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 234.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Trail Blazers at Pacers: Key injuries
Trail Blazers
- PF Zach Collins (ankle) out
Pacers
- SG Jeremy Lamb (knee) questionable
- C Goga Bitadze (ankle) questionable
- C Myles Turner (toe) out
- PF Domantas Sabonis (back) out
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Trail Blazers at Pacers: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Trail Blazers 124, Pacers 117
Money line (ML)
PASS because I only slightly “lean” to Portland covering but wouldn’t lay it with Trail Blazers (-190).
Furthermore, the Blazers should be motivated to get some revenge for their embarrassing loss to the Pacers earlier this season and Indiana is without its only All-Star.
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Against the spread (ATS)
Slight “LEAN” to the TRAIL BLAZERS -4.5 (-110) for a quarter unit since I’m not putting any stock in the Pacers’ three-game win streak.
Indiana’s last three wins have come against “tanking” teams such as the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder.
More importantly, the Pacers have the second-worst cover rate at home (8-20 ATS in home games) and are just 2-7 ATS with a minus-5.2-point spread differential as a home dog.
Over/Under (O/U)
TAKE OVER 234.5 (-115) for 1 unit and this is my best bet in Trail Blazers-Pacers.
Ultimately, Portland will figure out how to win this game and should execute better at the end of halves, but Indiana should put up a lot of points.
According to CleaningTheGlass.com, the Pacers attempt the second-highest volume of shots at the rim and the Blazers are 23rd in defensive field-goal shooting for attempts at the rim.
This was a big reason for Indiana’s epic blowout victory over Portland earlier this season as the Pacers outscored the Blazers in the paint 62-28.
Also, Indiana scores the second-most fast-break points per game and Portland’s defense gives up the fourth-most fast-break points per game.
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