The Indiana Pacers return home following a three-game road swing as they play host to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Pacers are 2-0 SU and ATS in their first two home games this season and have opened as a 4-point favorite in tonight’s game. In last year’s two-game season series, Portland and Indiana had an average combined score of 198 and the first meeting this season has an Sportsbook total of 219 points.
- The Pacers are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 games as home favorites.
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of the Pacers’ last 14 games at home (avg. combined score: 206.57).
- The Trail Blazers are 1-5 SU and ATS in their last six road games vs the Eastern Conference.
Trail Blazers vs Pacers Game Center
Indiana looks to continue strong home play
The Pacers play their first home game in nine days after embarking on their first extended road swing of the season in which they played two games in the Western Conference before finishing the trip in Cleveland. Indiana won its first two home games of the season, covering the spread in each with an average winning margin of 24. The defense was a big reason that the Pacers put in two dominant performances at Bankers Life Fieldhouse as they allowed an average of just 102.8 points in those games.
On the season, the Pacers are doing a terrific job shooting the ball as they have the second-best field-goal percentage in the league at 51.7 while hitting 44.6 percent of their three-point attempts, which is tops in the NBA. However, Indiana doesn’t pull up for a lot of shots from beyond the arc, taking just 23.2 three-point attempts per game, which is the second-fewest in the league, while it averages 51.7 points in the paint and Portland allows 51.2 points in the paint per game.
Can Portland’s potent offense penetrate Indiana’s strong defense?
The Trail Blazers live and die by their offense as their defense isn’t going to turn many heads. Defensively, Portland is allowing an average of 117.2 points per game which ranks in a tie for 10th-most in the NBA, while offensively it averages 119.5 ppg which is the fifth-most in the league. The Blazers don’t move the ball around the court overly well, averaging the sixth-fewest assists in the league, while throwing up the seventh-most shot attempts per game and not always getting clean looks at the hoop.
Portland can afford to take a pile of shots with little risk as the Blazers average the third-most rebounds per game so if they miss a shot, there’s a good opportunity they will keep possession. This style also puts a lot of pressure on their opponents to make their shots, but as mentioned above, the Pacers are one of the best shooting teams in the NBA.
Should you be on the OVER tonight?
The total has gone OVER in four of the last six meetings between Portland and Indiana and Sportsbook has tonight’s total Sportsbook at 219 points. Over those six games, the average combined score was 218.67, with three of the games going OVER 219 points, while the other three games went UNDER. Additionally, four of the last six games between the Pacers and Trail Blazers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse have gone OVER with an average combined score of 209.
Meanwhile, the total has gone OVER in each of Portland’s last seven games with an average combined score of 239, but 10 of Indiana’s last 14 home games have gone UNDER with an average combined score of 206.57. Overall, more trends are pointing toward UNDER 219 points rather than the OVER for tonight’s game so I would be on the UNDER.
My Take on Portland vs Indiana
I like the Pacers to cover the 4-point spread. Indiana is shooting the ball really well in the early stages of the season while Portland is struggling defensively. Additionally, the Pacers have covered the spread in each of their four victories this season, including both games at home, and are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 regular-season home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Lastly, the Trail Blazers are just 1-5 SU and ATS in their last six road games against the Eastern Conference, with an average losing margin of 12.83.
