Pacers vs. Blazers Recommended Bet for 12/4/22

Indiana Pacers (12-10 SU, 13-9-0 ATS) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (12-11 SU, 14-9-0 ATS)
When: Sunday, December 4th, 9:00 PM (ET)
Where: Moda Center, OR, Portland
TV: NBA

Point Spread: IND +3.5/ POR -3.5
Total: OFF
Money Line: Indiana Pacers +133/ -162

Notable Injuries

Pacers

• Daniel Theis (Out) Knee
• Tyrese Haliburton (Questionable) Groin
• Chris Duarte (Out) Ankle

Trail Blazers

• Damian Lillard (Out) Calf
• Gary Payton II (Out) Abdomen
• Josh Hart (Questionable) Ankle
• Drew Eubanks (Questionable) Hip
• Nassir Little (Out) Hip
• Keon Johnson (Out) Hip

Recent Form

Heading into the game, Indiana is 12-10 overall. When taking to the road, Indiana has a mark of 5-6 and a win percentage of 45.0%. Currently, the team is 5th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 13-9-0 vs. the spread. Indiana travels to take on the Trail Blazers, hoping to avoid their 3rd straight loss.

Most recently, Indiana lost to Jazz by a score of 139-119. Myles Turner and his 18 points were not enough for the team to pull out a win as 4-point underdogs. The Pacers also finished with an ATS loss in the game.

Heading into the game, Portland is 12-11 overall. When playing at home, Portland has a mark of 4-5 and a win percentage of 44%. Currently, the team is 9th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 14-9-0 vs. the spread. In Portland’s last five games, the Trail Blazers have a straight-up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 in those games. Going back to the last 10, they are 3-7 overall and 3-7 ATS.

Portland will be looking to build on their most recent win over Jazz. Anfernee Simons led the team to a win with his 45 points. The Trail Blazers were 5-point underdogs on the spread, giving them an ATS win.

The Historicals

In last season’s head-to-head matchups, the teams split the season series. In these games, each team won on their home floor. In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the Pacers averaged 117.5 points per game vs. Portland, which was an increase over their season-long average. While the Pacers saw a boost in scoring, the Trail Blazers averaged 104.0 points per contest in a head-to-head meeting with Indiana. This figure was similar to the season-long average. In terms of betting, Indiana has an ATS record of 3-2 in the previous five matchups vs. Portland. This mark has come on an average scoring margin of +7 points per game in favor of the Pacers. Over the course of these games, they averaged 217 points per game, leading a 1-4 over-under record.

Analysis

This season, Indiana is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 115.8 points per game. So far, the Pacers are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 102.2 possessions per game. The three-point shot has been a big part of Indiana’s offensive game plan, as they are ranked 4th in 3-point attempts per game. So far, they have connected on 35.8% of their looks from the outside. The defense has been a struggle for Indiana, as they are currently allowing an average of 114.9 points per game. The team’s 3-point shooting defense has been a problem this year. So far, opposing offenses have hit 36.78% of their looks from the outside.

Heading into the game, Tyrese Haliburton is questionable on the injury report and leads the team at 19.1 points per game.

This season, Portland is averaging just 110.0 points per game, which places them 24th in the league. A major reason for these low numbers is the fact that they play at one of the slower paces in the NBA at just 96.8 possessions per game. Portland has struggled with their 3-point shot this season, as they are currently ranked just 5th in 3-point shooting percentage at 38.1%. In addition, they are near the bottom of the league in attempts, at just 31.2 attempts per contest. The defense has been a struggle for Portland, as they are currently allowing 115.1 points per game. The team’s 3-point shooting defense has been a problem this year. So far, opposing offenses have hit 36.95% of their looks from outside.

The team’s leading scorer is Anfernee Simons at 24.8 points per game, while Jerami Grant is right behind him at 22.7 points per contest.

Betting Trends

• The Pacers are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
• The Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight-up loss.
• The Pacers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following an ATS loss.
• The Trail Blazers are 3-7 ATS in their last ten games overall.
• The Trail Blazers are 3-7 ATS in their last ten after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

The Indiana Pacers are playing their fifth straight game on the road, a west coast swing in which they’ve lost three of four, and in those three losses, they got smoked by margins of 14, 20, and 23 points. I’m laying the points with the Portland Trail Blazers.