The Indiana Pacers blew out the Houston Rockets and easily paid out on the NBA betting lines in their first meeting of the season as those teams hit the floor again on Friday night.
Indiana topped Houston 114-81 and covered the 6-point spread at home on the NBA odds in their first meeting of the season back on December 20. The improved the Pacers to 8-2 both SU and ATS in their last 10 games against the Rockets since 2008.
(Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). The Rockets are 42-19 so far on the season, and 32-26-3 ATS vs. the number. The Pacers, meanwhile, are 46-15 and 33-27-1 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Houston go 28-31-2 and the Pacers go 27-32-2 on the totals.
View Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets Odds and Stats.
Those backing the visitors in this one found the Pacers listed as 3.5-point underdogs earlier at Sportsbook. Meanwhile, the OVER/UNDER line for this game was set at 202 at Sportsbook but may have moved since Sportsbook.
The Rockets sit at No. 6 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Pacers are at No. 10 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Pacers will win this game 99-96.
Indiana lost its last outing, a 109-87 result against the Bobcats on March 5. The Pacers failed to cover in that game as a 4.5-point favorite, while the 196 combined points took the game OVER the total. The Pacers were blown out by Charlotte on Wednesday, losing by a 109-87 final at Time Warner Cable Arena in basketball betting action.
Houston won its last outing, a 101-89 result against the Magic on March 5. The Rockets covered in that game as an 8-point favorite, while the 190 combined points took the game UNDER the total. James Harden poured in 31 points for Houston on Wednesday, as they defeated Orlando 101-89 at Amway Center.
How They Match Up:
In rebounding, the battle of the boards features Houston's No. 5-rated squad against Indiana's No. 4-rated roster. When it comes to long-range shooting, Houston rates No. 6 in the league with 9.1 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 21 with 6.8 per outing.
Next up:
Indiana at Dallas, Sunday, March 9th
Houston home to Portland, Sunday, March 9th
