Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets Picks and Predictions Dec 29
Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets betting preview for Wednesday, December 29. At the time of posting, the Pacers are holding steady as a 3.5-point home favorite over the visiting Hornets, with the total sitting at 227 points.
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| Wed, Dec 29 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Indiana Pacers -3.5 vs Charlotte Hornets |
| Total: | 227 Points |
| Game Time: | 7:10pm ET / 4:10pm PT |
| Arena: | Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis |
| TV: | Bally Sports Indiana |
Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets Analysis
The 18-17 Charlotte Hornets travel to Indiana for an Eastern Conference tilt with the 14-20 Pacers. The Hornets will be looking for a third straight victory after a 123-99 thrashing of the Houston Rockets on Monday night. The Pacers haven’t played since Sunday, where they lost in Chicago by a score of 113-105 against the Bulls.
The Hornets have had the Pacers number so far this season. Both games were played in Charlotte and both were highly competitive, as the Hornets won 123-122 and 121-118. Charlotte also took two of three games against Indiana last season.
Let’s start with an injury report, it seems like an appropriate place to begin. Miles Bridges and PJ Washington are both on the health and safety protocol list for the Hornets. Knock on wood, the Pacers have avoided the dreaded Covid list so far. However, Malcolm Brogdon is questionable after missing the past two games with an achilles injury. Both TJ’s, McConnell and Warren are out as they have been for some time.
The Charlotte Hornets have won two straight after losing the prior three games. Charlotte scores points by the boatload, but can’t stop a nose bleed on defense. It’s become this young Hornets team identity. They play at breakneck speed, ranking 2nd in both pace and points scored.
The Hornets have a handful of players that could lead the team in scoring on any given night, including LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward. Last game it was “Scary Terry’s” turn, as Rozier led the way with 27 points against Houston. Scoring isn’t a problem, defense is where this team needs to improve. The Hornets rank dead last in both defensive efficiency and scoring. They ridiculously allow over 116 points a game, which balloons to 118.5 a game when on the road.
The Indiana Pacers will be out for revenge after losing two painfully close games against Charlotte earlier this season. The Pacers have managed to split their past two games without Malcolm Brogdon, as his status remains questionable for tonight with an achilles injury.
Last game all five Pacer starters scored double digits, Caris LeVert led the way with 27 points. Indiana can keep up with the Hornets as far as scoring, but to win tonight they will have to ratchet up the defense. Especially on the perimeter, as the Hornets have the leagues highest three-point shooting percentage.
The Indiana Pacers are 3.5 point home favorites with the total set at 227. The first two games between these teams were nearly identical. Both Hornets wins, games decided by one & three points with totals of 245 & 239 points. This game could truly go either way from a side perspective.
However, everything about this game screams over. We have the 20th and 30th ranked teams in defensive efficiency. The Hornets have cashed the most over tickets in the league at 20-14-1. The Pacers are far more comfortable shooting at home. Indiana is 9-2 to the over in their last 11 home games. The Hornets give up well over 118 points a game on the road. In their last three head-to-head meetings the Hornets have scored an average of 130 points per game, while the Pacers have averaged 128. I think we are looking at both teams scoring well over 110 points, with this game sailing over the total of 227.
Lamelo Ball has feasted on the Pacers this season with amazing performances where he combined for 51 & 47 points+rebounds+assists. He scored 32 & 31 points and was painfully close to a triple double in both contests. The Pacers allow the 8th most points and 4th most assists to opposing point guards. His PRA total is set at 36.5, a number he would have easily cleared last game, if not for a blowout. I know this because we had his PRA over. However, we will confidently roll with it again tonight against a vulnerable Pacers squad.
Official Play: OVER 227 Points
Official Player Prop: Lamelo Ball Over 36.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts
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Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets Preview from GoldSheet
Two previous meetings ended up with practically the same scoreline, tight wins for the Hornets (123-122 on opening night Oct. 20 and 121-118 almost a month later on Nov. 19), games in which Brogdon contributed 22 ppg in narrow losing causes, while it was Gordon Hayward bedeviling Indy, scoring 27 and 25, respectively, in the two Charlotte wins. Having played the league’s most road-heavy schedule, and holding their own (9-13 SU), the Hornets and their second-ranked offense might be able to outscore Indy again, with plenty of weapons available to compensate for the absence of Bridges, not to mention working on 9 spread covers in their last 12 games.
Those earlier meetings also both handily landed “over” so might also give that angle another look tonight, especially with both trending that way lately (Pacers 10-5, Hornets 11-4 “over” across last 15 games for each).
NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Wednesday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets contest.
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