Indiana Pacers vs Toronto Raptors Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 26/02/2024, 04:29  by Kennedy Kechula | Modified on 26/02/2024 at 11:00 in NBA Prediction

The Indiana Pacers will be at home to welcome the Toronto Raptors in an NBA matchup that promises to be an exciting one. They come to this game as the sixth-best team in the Eastern Conference and are 11.5 games clear of the 12th-placed Raptors. The Pacers have won their last three games. This run started with a 127-25 win in Toronto right before the All-Star break. Rick Carlisle’s men will now seek to take control of this regular season series which is tied at 1-1. They are coming off a 133-111 victory over the Mavericks on the first night of a back-to-back. Their 33rd win of the season took them to eight games above .500. Possessing the best offence in the league, the Pacers are averaging 123.7 points a night. They will be without Aaron Nesmith while Jalen Smith is questionable with a back issue.

The Raptors won the last time they were in Indiana in the first meeting of the season between the two. Darko Rajakovic’s men dug their heels in to produce a 132-131 victory back in November. With their current hot streak after the All-Star break, they will be confident of a win. The Raptors have won their last two matches since returning from the mid-season recess and have scored at least 121 points in each. Toronto defeated the offensive juggernaut that is the Atlanta Hawks 123-121 last time out away from home. Eight of the nine players who featured in the game scored in double figures. One of those was Bruce Brown who joined the team from the Pacers during the trade window. The Raptors, who are averaging 116.9 points when on the road, do not have any major absentees for this game. Both the Raptors and Pacers did business in the trade window earlier in the season. The major piece was Indie acquiring Pascal Siakam who is averaging 20.8 points this season.