The Philadelphia 76ers are among the best teams in the Eastern Conference, just like analysts thought they would be. But they are behind a surprising Indiana Pacers team that was not lumped among the conference elite when the year began. Indiana has played much better than expected this season and could add another big win to its resume by knocking off the 76ers this week.
Even though Philly has the bigger names, the Pacers have played better this year and have the home court advantage, which should make them the favorites. The 76ers do have the talent to pull off the upset so this should be an intriguing showdown in NBA wagering.
This NBA basketball game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers will be held at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 17th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on TNT.
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Odds Analysis
The 76ers have a record of 28-16 on the season. Philadelphia has been solid all year and is currently sitting in the No. 4 seed in the East. The 76ers need to improve on the road as they have only captured 10 of 22 attempts away from home.
The Pacers are 28-14 overall, sitting in the No. 3 seed in the East. Indiana is within striking distance of both the Raptors and Bucks and would surprise many if it can manage to finish with the top seed. Indiana has won 14 of 19 games at home this season and will be favored to add another to that list in NBA odds.
Ket Stat
2.0. That’s the 76ers’ average positive point-differential this season, which is easily the lowest among the five perceived contenders in the East. It is not a good sign, as point-differential can often be more predictive of future success than win percentage.
The 76ers are still young, so they can still pick things up, but as of now, Philadelphia is lucky to have the record it does. The Pacers, on the other hand, have an average point-differential of 5.3, which is much more in line with a team of its record.
Indiana may only be a game ahead of the 76ers in the standings, but it has been the clearly superior team to this point in the season.
Injury Report
The 76ers are pretty healthy but the Pacers are dealing with some key injuries. Center Myles Turner is dealing with a shoulder injury which has kept him out of the past four games. Turner is averaging 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. The 76ers boast star big man Joel Embiid, so the Pacers would love to have Turner available to defend him.
Indiana could also be without point guard Darren Collison, who has a leg injury. Collison is averaging 9.1 points and 5.6 assists per game on the year, playing well in 27.5 minutes per game. Keep an eye on the status of both Turner and Collison heading into this matchup.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The 76ers may have the bigger names as Embiid, Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons are an impressive trio. However, the Pacers have fantastic depth as their bench will likely outplay that of the 76ers. Indiana is at home and has the superior team. The Pacers are the easy pick to both win this game and cover the spread in NBA gambling.
This game could be more of a defensive affair than expected. The 76ers score points but Indiana plays good defense and should be able to dictate the pace.
NBA ATS Pick: Indiana Pacers 111, Philadelphia 76ers 105
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