The acquisition of Pascal Siakam should only pay further dividends as he and Tyrese Haliburton gel down the stretch. Facing the lowly Pistons, the newest Pacers cog is poised to do damage, facilitating Haliburton & Co. in a high-scoring match.
It’s another season down the toilet for the Detroit Pistons as they come out of the All-Star break with the worst record in the NBA at an almost unfathomably bad 8-46. While Detroit is again focused on the future, the Indiana Pacers have their sights set on the present.
Indiana currently sits in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and is hoping its new dynamic duo of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam can continue to gel down the stretch.
Not shockingly, the NBA odds have Indiana as a big home favorite in this matchup. Does Detroit have any hope of slowing down this high-octane Pacers offense to keep this close?
I break down this matchup and bring you the best bet in my NBA picks and predictions for Pistons vs. Pacers.
Pistons vs Pacers odds
Pistons vs Pacers predictions
There are not a whole lot of positives when talking about this Detroit Pistons season. Even franchise player Cade Cunningham is starting to look beaten down after all of these losses.
The Pistons have issues all over the place, but they are supremely ill-equipped to deal with an offense as good as the Indiana Pacers. Detroit has the third-worst defensive rating in the Association while allowing the fourth most points per game at 122. The Pistons rank 22nd in opponent effective field goal percentage and 23rd in opponent 3-point shooting percentage.
Tonight, they’ll be tasked with slowing down arguably the best offense in basketball. Led by All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers lead the NBA in offensive rating, effective field goal percentage, and scoring putting up 123.5 points per game.
But all that offense has come at a cost on defense for the Pacers, who rank 26th in defensive rating. That has held them back and is the main reason why they are a mediocre 31-25 coming out of the break.
So, Indiana went out and got Haliburton not only another dynamic scoring option but an all-around good player in Pascal Siakam.
Not only does the former Toronto Raptor immediately improve the Pacers’ defense, but he is also known for stuffing the stat sheet and that can continue in Indiana. Siakam is averaging 21.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
Tonight, I want to focus on his assists. Now usually when people think of assists and the Pacers, they think of Haliburton. But don’t overlook Spicy P when it comes to dimes.
Despite that 4.8 average, Spicy P continues to get assist totals of 3.5. Which is where it is sitting for this matchup. The Pistons are average at best when it comes to defending against assists, ranking 16th in opponent assists per game and Siakam has gone Over this number in 10 of his 15 games as a member of the Pacers.
Spicy P looks like a great bet to hit the Over 3.5 assists tonight.
My best bet: Pascal Siakam Over 3.5 assists (-143 at PROLINE+)
Pistons vs Pacers same-game parlay
This a rare opportunity where there might actually be some value on the Pistons. Most other sportsbooks have the Pistons in the 11.5-12.5 range but PROLINE+ is giving us 13.5 points with the road team. Detroit is somewhat surprisingly 11-4 against the spread in its last 15 games when getting 10 or more points. And since they are going against a shaky Pacers defense, they’ll have a good shot to stay within the number.
This two-leg same-game parlay has to include the Over, even at the massive number of 248.5. Now, I would look toward the Pacers team total at 129.5. They went for 130-plus in both of the previous two meetings against the Pistons this season. But with the top offense and two Bottom-5 defenses, we could see plenty of points in this matchup.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Pistons vs Pacers spread and Over/Under analysis
The Pacers opened this Central Division clash as 11.5-point home favorites and they have steadily been bet up to 13.5 as of Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile, the total has moved from 247 to 248.5.
The first two meetings between these Central division foes went pretty much as you would expect. The Pacers put up a bunch of points and won both games. That said, they didn’t cover the spread both times.
Indiana won a Nov. 24 meeting 136-113 at home, covering the 9.5-point spread with the game clearing the 246.5 by 2.5 points. The Pacers also took the second meeting in Detroit by a score of 131-123 but didn’t cover as 7.5-point road chalk. Once again, the game cleared the 247.5 total, this time by 6.5 points.
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Pistons vs Pacers betting trend to know
The Pacers have hit the Team Total Over in 49 of their last 79 games for +14.3 units. Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Pacers.
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Pistons vs Pacers game info
| Location: | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN |
| Date: | Thursday, February 22, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Indiana |
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