The Indiana Pacers have weathered some key injuries en route to a strong start this season. Traveling on the road Friday to face white-hot James Harden and the Rockets, they find themselves big underdogs … but should bettors consider siding with the road Pacers?
- Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets (Matchup Report)
- Date/Time: November 15, 8 p.m. ET
- TV Coverage: TSN 1, FOX Sports Indiana, AT&T Sportsnet Southwest
- Sportsbook Odds: Houston -7.5 | O/U 226 (Line History)
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Rockets and superstar James Harden are simply on fire. Plus they’ve had recent ATS success at home against Indiana, so Houston opens as a 7.5-point home favorite.
Indiana News & Notes
The Pacers have been dealing with major injuries right out of the gate, with center Myles Turner missing seven straight games, guard Jeremy Lamb missing four straight games and star Victor Oladipo yet to return from a knee injury suffered last season.
It hasn’t hindered the Pacers so far, as they have won seven of their last eight games following their 111-85 victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday. The Pacers have been led by free-agent acquisition Malcolm Brogdon, who paces the team with 20.7 points and 8.5 assists per game, as well as forward Domantas Sabonis, who leads them with 13.3 rebounds per game while adding 19.8 points per contest.
While Turner and Lamb are going to miss Friday’s game, they should be back soon and Oladipo is on a conditioning stint in the G League. The Pacers are rolling right now and reinforcements are on the way.
Houston News & Notes
The Rockets had a big-time matchup Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers, with defensive standouts Kawhi Leonard and Patrick Beverley looking to slow down James Harden’s blistering start to the season.
Harden responded with 47 points, his second-highest total of the season, in a 102-93 Rockets win. The performance upped his season average to 38.2 points per game and gave Houston its fifth straight win.
Houston’s latest win came at a price, however, as center Clint Capela left the game to be evaluated for a concussion. He has been ruled out for Friday’s contest, leaving a big hole in the paint as he was averaging 13.4 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.
That puts even more scoring pressure on Harden, as he looks to continue powering Houston’s third-ranked offense against Indiana’s fifth-ranked defense,
Betting Pick: Pacers +7.5
Despite their injuries, this Pacers team is good. Harden will be tough to contain, but Indiana should exploit Clint Capela’s absence and stick around enough to cover the spread.
- Indiana is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games.
- Indiana is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games in Houston.
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston’s last 7 games against Indiana.
