Lakers vs. Pacers Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
Two teams that still have a lot to play for in the regular season are the L.A. Lakers and Indiana Pacers. With a little luck the Lakers can still avoid the play-in tournament altogether, while the Pacers are fighting for seeding and an easier route through the tournament. Both teams will go hard for a win on Sunday afternoon in Indiana.
L.A. is a 7-point favourite to win on the NBA odds with a total of 226.5.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
L.A. has hit a bit of a rough road stretch, dropping five of their last six games outside the Staples Center. They’re 31-38-1 against the spread this season, but have gone just 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games. The total has gone Under in 21 of the Lakers’ 34 road games this year.
The Pacers have had a lot of success against L.A. at home, winning eight straight games against the Lakers in Indiana. They’re 30-40 ATS this year and they’ve been hot lately, covering in four of their last five games. The Pacers have hit the Over in seven of their last 10 games.
Los Angeles Lakers
Might we finally see a return of the king on Saturday? After reportedly being set to return from a nagging ankle injury against Houston on Wednesday, LeBron James’ delayed his return by one game and should be set to go on Saturday. It makes sense for James to return now, as the Lakers are desperately trying to avoid the play-in tournament and they’ll need to win their final two regular season games to do it. James will be a huge addition for this team down the stretch as he leads the team in points (25.0), assists (7.8), turnovers (3.8) and minutes played (33.7) per game.
L.A. is also going to need Anthony Davis to be better. It’s possible Davis is still dealing with a nagging groin injury, but James is at the point in his career where he can’t carry the entire team on his back and win games singlehandedly anymore, he needs some help. Davis missed 30 games this year, but he is starting to show some flashes of his 2020 season form. He’s helped L.A. to a three-game winning streak, although he sat out Wednesday’s game for rest.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have locked up a spot in the play-in tournament, but they’re battling for the eighth seed against Charlotte. If Indiana can lock up No. 8 in the conference, they’ll be forced to play one less play-in game and have an easier path to the playoffs. Consistency has been killing this team. They’ve lost six of their last 10 games, but a win on Saturday would help them leapfrog the Hornets in the standings, so they’re going to come at L.A. hard for this game. This is also a team that was able to put up 133 points against a defensively skilled Milwaukee team on Thursday, although they did eventually lose the game.
Look for Domantas Sabonis to be a big factor in this game. Sabonis is having the best season of his career. He averages 20.2 points per game and he leads the team with 11.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Sabonis is also having a monster month in May. Through eight games this month, Sabonis is averaging a triple-double of 26 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists per game.
LAL
IND