The Indiana Pacers looked like they were going to be in rebuild mode when they sent Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason. Instead, Oklahoma City is the team struggling to find its footing.
These two teams will face off this week in a regular season matchup and it will be interesting to see if the upstart Pacers can remain hot. They are 16-11 on the season and in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
Big things were expected for the Thunder when they paired star holdover Russell Westbrook with George and Carmelo Anthony, but it has been tough sledding early on. There is plenty of time for this group to jell but Oklahoma City is only 12-13 through the first portion of the season.
This war on the floor will go down Wednesday, December 13, 2017, at 7 p.m. ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
It’s going to be very interesting to see where this spread comes in. Indiana is an impressive 10-4 at home this season and has a much better record than the Thunder, but its point-differential is actually lower, which could warn of unluckier days ahead.
Oklahoma City has gone a horrible 3-10 on the road this season and must get that ironed out quickly if it plans on becoming a contender. The Pacers may be slight favorites in this matchup because of the location, but it’s not a given.
The Thunder has higher-end potential within its group and could be chosen as the team to beat by the oddsmakers. The Pacers are one of the higher-scoring teams in the NBA while Oklahoma City plays lower-scoring games, so it will be interesting to see where this scoring total comes in.
Last Meeting
The first time George faced his former team this season he scored just 10 points, but the Thunder won anyway. Behind a big effort from Anthony and Westbrook, Oklahoma City defeated the Pacers 114-96 on October 25th.
Anthony and Westbrook each had 28 points in the victory as the Thunder pulled away late to put the Pacers away. Victor Oladipo had 35 points for Indiana in the loss.
Player To Watch
Oladipo- The Pacers acquired Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis from the Thunder in exchange for George, and both have been huge factors in the team’s start. Oladipo, especially, has taken a huge step forward in his career with Indiana.
He is averaging 23.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per contest. Oladipo is shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 43.9 percent from three-point range on the year. Both of those marks are much higher than his career norms, as he has really blossomed.
Oladipo is leading Indiana in scoring and has quickly become the go-to guy. Sabonis is adding 12.0 points and 8.7 rebounds as this trade has worked out really well for Indiana when most originally thought the Thunder would come out on top in this deal.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Thunder has the star power with George, Anthony and Westbrook, but the Pacers’ body of work can’t be ignored. The location is important in this matchup as Indiana has a good chance of capturing this game at home.
The first matchup didn’t go as well as hoped for the Pacers but they should get a measure of revenge in this one. Look for the spread to be pretty low for either one team or the other, but Indiana is the choice to come away with the victory.
Consider the “under” if the total comes in high as this one could be a defensive battle.
NBA Odds: Pacers 101, Thunder 100
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