The Indiana Pacers (39-29) and Brooklyn Nets (23-46) will meet for the first of back-to-back games when they square off on Thursday. Indiana has won four of its last five games, including a 135-131 win over Dallas on Wednesday. Brooklyn has dropped four of its past five outings, falling to Boston in a 104-96 final on Tuesday. The Nets are giving Cameron Johnson a rest day on Thursday, while Tyrese Haliburton (back) is a game-time decision for Indiana.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Pacers are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Pacers vs. Nets odds from the SportsLine Consensus, while the over/under for points scored is 223.5. The Pacers are -370 (risk $370 to win $100) money-line favorites, while the Nets are +285 underdogs.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons.
Here are the model’s NBA best bets for Pacers vs. Nets on Thursday:
Pacers (-8.5 at BetMGM)
These teams are trending in opposite directions right now, with the Pacers having won four of their last five games and the Nets having lost 11 of their last 13. Indiana is coming off a win over Dallas on Wednesday, putting the Pacers one game ahead of Milwaukee and Detroit for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. They led by as many as 16 points in that game, and Bennedict Mathurin sealed the win with 16 points in the final six minutes. Indiana has covered the spread in nine of its last 12 games against the Nets, who are on a seven-game road losing streak. The model has the Pacers covering the spread in 70% of simulations on Thursday night. BetMGM is offering the Pacers (-8.5) at -110 odds.
Under 223.5
Brooklyn has failed to score more than 113 points in six of its last seven games, including its 96-point output against Boston on Tuesday. The Nets are already playing without leading scorer Cam Thomas (hamstring) for the remainder of the season, and they will be without their second-leading scorer in Johnson (rest) on Thursday. These teams tend to play low-scoring games, with the Under cashing in four of the last five head-to-head matchups. The model has that trend continuing on Thursday, as the Under is hitting in well over 50% of simulations.
Tyrese Haliburton U10.5 Assists (+100 on Bet365)
Haliburton has missed the last two games due to a back injury, so he could see a reduction in minutes if he returns on Thursday night. He has cashed the Over in eight of his last nine games, but it is just 10-19 overall at home this season and he has gone Under in four of his last five games against Brooklyn. Haliburton is 15-7 to the Under when the Pacers have been favored by at least 8.5 points, as a potential blowout could also decrease his volume. The model has him finishing with just 9.5 assists even with a full normal projection of 34 minutes on the court. Bet365 is offering the best line at +100.
Want more NBA picks for Thursday?
You’ve seen the model’s NBA best bets for Pacers vs. Nets on Thursday. Now, get picks for every game from SportsLine’s model that’s on a 151-111 roll on NBA picks dating back to last season. Visit SportsLine to get all of its NBA picks for Thursday right here.
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