Pacers vs. Raptors Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
-
Jeremy Perry
The Indiana Pacers are on a roll right now as they try to establish themselves as one of the chief contenders in the Eastern Conference. They’ve won six in a row and 13 of their last 15 contests. They’re now tied with the Toronto Raptors – the team that has been favored to win the East – in the loss column as the two sides sit on 12 losses. The Pacers can make a big statement with a win on Sunday.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Indiana Pacers are 26-12 straight up and 20-17-1 against the spread. They are on a six-game winning streak and that could extend as they love playing on Sundays. They have covered 23 of their last 31 Sunday contests.
The Toronto Raptors are still a top-three team in the East but have cooled off of late. They started the year 20-4 and are just 9-8 since. They are just 8-11 ATS in home games and just 1-4 ATS in Sunday games. Oddly enough, they’ve struggled against the Central Division, going 3-7 ATS in 10 games versus those teams.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are arguably the hottest team in the NBA right now. They’re also a young team that’s growing up together, so this doesn’t appear to be a fluke of any kind. They are fresh off an iffy 119-116 win at the lowly Chicago Bulls but that was their sixth straight victory and 13th in 15 games. However, one of the two losses was on the road at the Raptors, which makes Sunday’s affair all the more interesting.
The Pacers led by as many as 17 points on the road in Toronto before collapsing in the fourth quarter. They scored just 11 points in the final quarter as the Raptors clawed all the way back. The will be back in Toronto on Sunday at the scene of the crime, trying to make amends for that poor finish.
While they scored just 96 points in that contest, they have averaged 118.0 per game since.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are 15-4 at home, 8-11 against the spread. They are 6-0 ATS in their last six games against an opponent with a road winning percentage over .600, which the Pacers are, so that’s a good sign.
The key for anyone betting this game will be the status of Kawhi Leonard. He hasn’t played in a back-to-back situation yet this season and the Raptors played on Saturday night (he played). Head coach Nick Nurse has said that he’ll suit up on Sunday but given the history, that’s why the line is off the board.
The Raps earned an impressive road win on Sunday night, turning back the Milwaukee Bucks on the road. As impressive as that performance was, the Raptors haven’t won more than two in a row since December 1st.
The team will be without Kyle Lowry on Sunday but it looks like the Pacers could be without center Myles Turner. That would help the Raptors out a lot as he had 10 points and 14 rebounds in the last meeting.
