Free NBA Picks: Indiana Pacers vs. Phoenix Suns Predictions

Indiana Pacers (24-18 SU, 24-18 ATS) vs. Phoenix Suns (23-18 SU, 15-26 ATS)

When: Sunday, January 21st, 8:00 PM (ET)

Where: Footprint Center, AZ, Phoenix

TV: AZFa

Point Spread: Ind +5/Pho -5

Total: 248

Money Line: Indiana Pacers +165/-201

Notable Injuries

Pacers

• Tyrese Haliburton (Questionable) Hamstring
• Isaiah Jackson (Out) Head
• Andrew Nembhard (Questionable) Back

Suns

• Damion Lee (Out) Knee
• Bol Bol (Out) Foot
• Jordan Goodwin (Probable) Ankle

At 8:00 ET, the Pacers (+165) will visit the Suns (-201) in a non-conference matchup. Phoenix is currently favored by 5 and has won four in a row. The over/under line for this game is 248.

This game will be played in Phoenix at Footprint Center. The Pacers are 7th in the Eastern Conference and 3rd in the Central Division. On the other side, the Suns are 8th in the West and 3rd in the Pacific. Tip-off for this game is scheduled for 8:00 ET and can be seen on AZFa.

Recent Form

Indiana’s ATS record is 24-18 this season, going 12-9 ATS on the road and 12-9 ATS at home. As the underdog, the Pacers are 14-9 ATS and have failed to cover the spread in their last two games as the favorite.

On the road, Indiana is 11-10 straight up and 12-9 vs. the spread. The team’s scoring differential on the road is -2.9 points per game.

This season, the Pacers have an O/U record of 26-16, and 30 of their 42 games have had lower over/under lines than today’s (248). Indiana’s games have averaged 244.1 points per game.

Indiana is 7th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 24-18. In their last game, they lost to the Trail Blazers by a score of 118-115. The Pacers were favored by 8.5 points in that game.

Overall, Indiana is 13-10 as the underdog this season. Today, they are 5-point underdogs on the road. In the Eastern Conference, the Pacers are currently in 3rd place.

The Suns have won four straight games and are currently 8th in the Western Conference with a record of 23-18. In games vs. the Western Conference, they are 16-14 compared to 7-4 against non-conference opponents.

Phoenix is favored by 5 points today and has been the favorite in 29 of their 41 games. As the favorite, they have a record of 19-10 and have gone 10-19 vs. the spread as the favorite.

On average, the Suns’ games have finished with 230.4 points per game, which is lower than today’s O/U line of 248. Their games have averaged an over/under line of 230.2.

In their last game, the Suns defeated the Pelicans by a score of 123-109. They were 2.5-point underdogs going into the game and covered the spread. The O/U line for that game was 236.5.

Overall, the Suns have an ATS record of 15-26, including a 7-16 record at home. Their last two games at home, they have failed to cover the spread.

The Historicals

Over the last 5 head to head meetings, the Suns have averaged 113 points per game compared to 106 for Indiana. This has led to an ATS record of 3-2 for Phoenix. Over the course of these games, they averaged 219 points per game, leading a 1-4 over-under record.

Analysis

Indiana comes into this game as the top-scoring team in the NBA, averaging 125.4 points per game. Surprisingly, they have actually been even better on the road, scoring 123.1 points per game compared to 127.6 at home.

When it comes to pace, the Pacers are 2nd in the league, averaging 102.2 possessions per game. This has helped them become the top field goal-shooting team in the league at 50%. They are also the top team in two-point field goal percentage at 59%.

So far this season, Indiana has outscored the NBA scoring average in 73.8% of their games. In terms of three-point shooting, they are 6th in made threes per game at 14.3 and have a three-point percentage of 38%.

As they prepare for the upcoming game, the Pacers is focused on shoring up their defense, as they are currently allowing an average of 123.3 points per game (29th). On two-point field goal attempts, the Pacers’ defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 56.4% and allowing 37.9% from beyond the arc.

At home, the Suns are averaging 117.0 points per game this season, which is 13th in the NBA (48.8% of games below the NBA scoring average). Overall, the Suns are 13th in the league in scoring at 116.1 points per game.

When it comes to three-point shooting, Phoenix is 10th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage at 37%. They are also 9th in field goal percentage at 48%.

So far this season, the Suns have made an average of 21.2 free throws per game, which is 2nd in the NBA. In terms of assists, Phoenix is 16th in the league at 26.2 per game.

Coming into the game, the Sun’s defense has held opposing teams to fewer points than the league average in 39.0% of their games. Currently, they are 15th in the NBA at 114.3 points per game allowed. In terms of takeaways, the Suns are causing 13.8 turnovers per game, ranking 22nd in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 6th in rejections, averaging 6 blocked shots each game.

Betting Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Pacers have a straight-up record of 5-5 while going 6-4 vs. the spread. The team averaged 115 points per game in this stretch.
• The Suns are 2-1 ATS in their last three home games and 3-0 straight-up.
• Through their last five games as the underdog, the Pacers have an ATS record of 4-1 and a straight up mark of 3-2.
• In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Suns have a straight up record of 8-2 and an ATS mark of 4-6.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

After beating the Kings without Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, the Pacers fell to the Trail Blazers with both guys on the court. Now, they have the task of taking on a Suns squad that has the longest winning streak in the Western Conference. I’m going with Phoenix to cover at home (-5).