Check out our free 76ers vs Pacers pick and preview for this NBA game in Indianapolis. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.
76ers vs Pacers NBA Pick & Preview
- Sport: NBA
- Teams: Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers
- Where: Indianapolis at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
- Date: Saturday, March 18th
- Betting Odds IND +6.5, PHI -257 | IND +208 O/U 234.0
The 76ers come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 47-22. So far, the team has gone 40-28-1 against the spread. Against the Pacers, the 76ers are going for their 8th straight win, posting an average scoring margin of 14.0 points per game in this stretch.
The 76ers will look to keep things rolling, as they previously beat the Hornets by a score of 121-82. Heading into the game, they were 10 point favorites against the spread, giving them an ATS win. In the game, Philadelphia outscored their opponent in every quarter. Leading the team in scoring was Joel Embiid, as he contributed 38 points while hitting 76.2% of his shots.
So far, the Pacers have put together an overall record of 32-38, while going 38-31-1 vs the spread. Across the team’s previous 3 games, they have gone 2-1 straight-up and 2-1 vs the spread.
The Pacers are coming off a 139-123 win over the Bucks. This win came despite entering the game as the 11 point underdogs. Indiana went on to win the game, despite trailing by 9 going into halftime. In the win, Andrew Nembhard led the team in scoring with 24 points on a field goal percentage of 47.6%.
Head To Head Recap & Stats
In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the 76ers picked up the 120-106 win over the Pacers. The 76ers point margin of victory was enough to cover the spread as 12.5 point favorite. So far this season, the 76ers have a record of 3-0 vs the Pacers. In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the 76ers averaged 125.67 points per game vs Indiana, which was an increase over their season-long average. On the other side, the Pacers also experienced an uptick in scoring during head-to-head matchups, averaging 120.0 points per game vs Philadelphia. When looking at how these teams have performed vs the spread in recent matchups, the Pacers have an ATS mark of 4-1. Yet, the 76ers have averaged more points per game in these contests, at 132 compared to Indiana at 132. Over the course of these games, they averaged 255 points per game, leading a 4-1 over-under record.
Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game
Through 69 games, the 76ers are averaging 115.2 points per contest, placing them 13th in the NBA. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the 76ers are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 97.1 per contest. Even though the 76ers are one of the more efficient 3-point shooting teams in the NBA at 38.9%, their slower-style of play may be holding back the team’s offense from fully taking off.
So far, the 76ers have played well defensively, as they are ranked 8th in the league at 107.33 points per contest.
On offense, Joel Embiid leads the 76ers in scoring at 33.5 points per game, placing him 1st in the NBA. Overall, Embiid has hit 54.5% of his shots while accounting for 24.5% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 28th in points allowed to centers. At 21.7 points per game, James Harden is the 2nd leading scorer for the 76ers. For the season, he is 32nd in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 44.6%.
Indiana will look to continue with their strong offensive play, as they are averaging 115.9 points per game (10th). So far, Indiana is averaging 100.5 possessions per game, making them one of the more up-tempo teams in the league. Although the team is playing at an up-tempo speed, they would benefit from scoring with more efficiency, as they are just 25th in the league in overall field goal percentage at 54.3%.
Defensively, Indiana has had its problems giving up an average of 114.94 points per game (26th).
A key injury to note in this game is the absence of the Pacers 2nd leading scorer, Tyrese Haliburton. In his 54 games, Haliburton is averaging 20.8 points per game while dishing out 10.4 assists and grabbing 3.7 rebounds. In his absence, the team will be looking for even more production out of Buddy Hield, who leads the team and is 74th in the NBA at 17.2 points per contest. For the season, he has connected on 45.8% of his field goal attempts while taking 14.8% of the team’s shots from the floor.
76ers vs Pacers Pick
- Free Spread Prediction: 76ers -6.5
- Free Total Prediction: Over 234.0
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