Playoff positioning is at the forefront when the Indiana Pacers host the Washington Wizards on Saturday evening. Indiana and Washington are separated by just a half-game in the NBA Eastern Conference standings, with the Pacers sitting at 31-35 and the Wizards at 31-36. Indiana is just 12-20 at home, however, with Washington entering this road tilt with a 14-19 record away from home. Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring), Jeremy Lamb (knee) and Edmond Sumner (knee) are questionable for Indiana, with Myles Turner (toe) out.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET in Indianapolis. William Hill Sportsbook lists Washington as a 3.5-point road favorite, holding steady from the opener, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 247.5 in the latest Wizards vs. Pacers odds. Before making any Pacers vs. Wizards picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned over $9,200 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up over $1,200 on its top-rated picks this season and entered Week 20 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 97-62 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread dating back to last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Wizards vs. Pacers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Pacers vs. Wizards:
- Wizards vs. Pacers spread: Wizards -3.5
- Wizards vs. Pacers over-under: 247.5 points
- Wizards vs. Pacers money line: Wizards -160, Pacers +140
- WASH: The Wizards are 8-2 against the spread in the last 10 games
- IND: The Pacers are 4-6 against the spread in the last 10 games
Featured Game | Indiana Pacers vs. Washington Wizards
Why the Wizards can cover
Few teams can match Washington’s star power in the backcourt. Bradley Beal is one of the NBA’s leading scorers, averaging 31.1 points per game, and he is a proven shot creator for himself and others. Russell Westbrook is playing at an extremely high level, racking up triple-doubles seemingly every night and averaging 21.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game this season. Washington leads the NBA in free throws, averaging 20.1 points per game at the line, and the Wizards are an above-average team in both field goal percentage (47.5 percent) and assists (25.5 per game).
The Wizards also project to have a monumental edge on the glass. Indiana is the worst defensive rebounding team in the NBA, securing only 70.2 percent of available rebounds, and Washington ranks near the top of the league in offensive rebound rate (30.0 percent) over the last 15 games. The Pacers are also a bottom-five offensive rebounding team in the NBA, grabbing only 24.6 percent of their own missed shots, and Washington should be able to kickstart its offense by shoring up the defensive glass.
Why the Pacers can cover
Indiana has strengths on both sides of the floor. The Pacers are one of the best passing teams in the NBA, averaging 27.0 assists per game, and Domantas Sabonis engineers the offense. The talented big man is averaging 20.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, and Sabonis was exceptional in Indiana’s last game, scoring 30 points in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. As a team, the Pacers are above-average in field goal percentage (47.3 percent), 2-point percentage (53.9 percent) and free throw percentage (79.1 percent), and the Wizards allow the second-most free throw attempts (25.4 per game) in the NBA defensively.
On the other end, Indiana is No. 1 in the NBA in blocked shots, averaging 6.4 per game, with top-five marks in steals (8.5 per game) and 3-pointers allowed (11.6 per game). Washington is just 28th in the NBA in 3-point field goals, converting just 10.2 per game this season.
How to make Pacers vs. Wizards picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 246 points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Pacers vs. Wizards? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a roll on NBA picks.