Entering a meeting between the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers, it may have been likely one of the NBA teams was winless, but people wouldn’t have guessed it would be the 76ers.
Philadelphia hosts the Pacers at 7 p.m. ET Monday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Things are going well for the city of Philadelphia as next door to the arena is where the Phillies clinched their World Series berth. In fact, the 76ers are the only team not off to a good start in October.
But they have a golden opportunity to do so, as the Pacers standings are 1-2. Indiana figures to be in line to tank for tantalizing prospect Victor Wembanyama, the 7 foot 4 athletic freak who showcases guard-like skills but also, once stronger, will be able to play in the post.
Though it is the 76ers (0-3) who have better odds early on, that should soon change.
Pacers vs. 76ers Odds Breakdown
Pacers vs 76ers odds show the 76ers are heavy favorites. The lines opened and stuck at Philadelphia -11.5 with an over/under of 226.5 and both odds at -110.
The moneyline has, however, shifted. Philadelphia is -700 while the Pacers are +475, which has shifted from its opening of -648 and +503, respectively.
Generally, the -110 odds are even regardless of which side is bet. What it means is it would take a bet of $1.10 to profit a full $1, or $2.10 total payout if one side hits.
The moneyline is different in that it would take $7 to profit $1 off a 76ers win. Conversely, it would be a profit of $4.75 on a $1 bet should the Pacers win.
Matchup Information
- Time and Date: October 4, 2022, 7:00 p.m.
- Venue: Wells Fargo Center
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- How to Watch: NBA League Pass
Indiana Pacers vs. Philadelphia 76ers Betting Preview
There have been 189 games between the two franchises. The NBA matchups have swung the 76ers way with 105 wins to the Pacers 84 wins.
Over the last two seasons, it has been the Sixers winning four of the six matchups straight up. The Pacers have covered the last four against the spread. In those six games, the over is 5-1.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers had a string of 12 straight losses dating back to last season. That was snapped Saturday with a 124-115 win over the Detroit Pistons.
It was the first win straight up and against the spread for the Pacers, who were favored for the second time. The over is also 2-1 in such games.
Rookie Bennedict Mathurin scored a team-high 27 points off the bench, converting 10 of 18 field goal attempts, including a 5 for 8 mark from 3-point range. He showed he’ll fit well with Tyrese Haliburton, acquired last season for Domantas Sabonis.
Pacers’ Offense
The Pacers have had a strong showing offensively, ranking fifth in scoring at 121.7 points per game. What’s scary is there is room for improvement based on their efficiency numbers.
They are converting just 44.4% of field goal attempts, ranking 21st while making 35.3% of 3-point attempts, which is 19th.
Pacers’ Defense
Defensively the Pacers have really struggled. They are 27th in allowing 122 points per game against them. They also have the second-worst defense against 3-pointers, as opponents are shooting 44.2% from the perimeter compared to 45.9% from the field, which ranks 17th.
Indiana is ninth in rebounding at 47.7 per contest, while they also give up 47.7 rebounds per game, ranking 22nd.
The NBA injury report shows Daniel Theis is questionable with a knee injury, as is reserve guard Trevelin Queen, with a concussion designation.
Philadelphia 76ers
76ers betting picks have not hit to start the season. Favored in two of three games, they’ve lost by nine twice and a bucket once.
Granted, one was against the Boston Celtics, and another the Milwaukee Bucks. But the loss to the San Antonio Spurs is inexcusable.
Home for the third straight game, the 76ers look to avoid falling into a deeper hole against a Pacers team not expected to contend.
While the new superstar pairing of James Harden and Joel Embiid has looked strong at times, those complementary playing roles still aren’t entirely acclimated.
76rs Offense
The offense is averaging 103.3 points per game, the worst mark in the league. They are converting 45.7% of field goal attempts, ranking 20th, and 31.5% of 3-pointers, the sixth worst rate. However, they are seventh in free throw percentage at 81.2%.
The rebounding has also been poor, grabbing 38.3 per contest for the worst mark in the league. They allow 42.3, ranking 12th.
76rs Defense
The defense is ninth in holding teams to 110 points per game, but the efficiency numbers are not great. Teams convert 48.2% of field goal attempts, the sixth worth rate defensively.
A lot of it has to do with a much slower pace so far, but the offensive inefficiencies aren’t allowing them to set their defense.
Pacers vs. 76ers Betting Analysis and Prediction
For the Pacers vs 76ers odds to only be at 226.5 points for the total is a little surprising. Even if the Pacers played at a slower pace, they’d likely have higher-scoring games because their defense is not expected to be great.
Now, they can right the ship and allow their young core to make mistakes and learn the league together offensively.
This is one of those games where things should average out a little bit, with the Pacers offense regressing and the 76ers offense improving. Still, the over should hit, given how these teams have fared in the first week of the season.
Who to Bet On?
It’s also surprising that the Pacers vs 76ers odds are double digits. Seeing 76ers -11.5 is surprising because of how well the Pacers have fared to start the season.
While they’re 1-2 against the spread, they have been all three games this season, granted against likely lottery or play-in teams. But the fight the young team has shown has been encouraging.
The 76ers don’t have a reason to be discouraged based on their results and should come out focused after a loss to the Spurs.
We’ll take the Pacers +11.5 because that seems like a lot of points for an early season NBA game, but the 76ers should manage to get in the win column for the first time this season.
NBA Pick: Pacers -12 (-110)
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