INDIANA PACERS VS. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Greeting basketball fans. Welcome back to our weekly NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap for Tuesday night features the Indiana Pacers taking on the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into the matchup and why. 

Tipoff

• When: Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 7:10 PM EST
• Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Indiana Pacers vs. Philadelphia 76ers Odds (via DraftKings)

Indiana Pacers vs. Philadelphia 76ers – In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

Pacers Will Try To Even The Score As They Face The Sixers For The Second Time In As Many Nights

The Indiana Pacers produced a 3-3 record through their first six games of the season. Since then, they have posted wins in three of their last four outings. Ironically, the team’s most recent outing was against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night. The Pacers were on the wrong end of a 137-126 decision. 

Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 25 points (on 9-for-14 shooting from the field) and 17 assists. Myles Turner chipped in with 25 points and five rebounds. The Pacers are the top-scoring offense in the league at 126 points per contest. 

Indiana shot 52.2 percent from the field and 41 percent from distance. Not sure how much more they can do to pull off a win here. And given the fact they are ranked 27th in both scoring defense (123.1 PPG) and efficiency (allowing 119.3 points per 100 possessions), they may have a hard time slowing down the Sixers again. 

Sixers Hoping To Extend Winning Streak To Nine Games

On the other side of this matchup, the 76ers are hot, to say the least. After dropping their season opener with a 118-117 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, they have reeled off eight consecutive victories. In the 76ers’ recent win over the Pacers, Tyrone Maxey scored a career-high 50 points to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. The reigning league MVP, Joel Embiid, had a great all-around game in his own right. He scored 37 points, hauled in 13 rebounds, and handed out seven assists. 

The Sixers come into this showdown with the third-best offense in the association. Additionally, they are ranked eighth in both scoring defense (109.4 PPG) and efficiency (allowing 109.5 points per 100 possessions). It will be interesting to see if we will witness another high-scoring affair or will see a bit more defense between two of the highest-scoring teams in the NBA. 

The Picks

The Spread

The Sixers opened as a consensus 6.5-point favorite. That line has not moved. Below are a few trends that suggest why picking the home team (the Sixers) to cover the spread is a safe play. 

• The Sixers are 8-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last nine games overall. 
• Philadelphia is 6-0 ATS in their last six games at Wells Fargo Center.
• The Sixers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games that were played in November. 

Prediction: Sixers (-6.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under for this contest is 241.5 (via DraftKings). Here are a few reasons why the OVER may be the way to go here. 

• The OVER total has hit for Philly in seven of its last eight games against the Pacers.
• In the Sixers’ last 15 games against Eastern Conference teams, the OVER total has prevailed 11 times.
• The OVER total has prevailed 12 times in the Sixers’ last 16 games that were played on a Tuesday.
• Meanwhile, the OVER total is a perfect 7-0 in the Pacers’ last seven games.
• In the Pacers’ last six road games, the OVER has hit five times.
• The OVER total is a perfect 5-0 for the Pacers in their last five matchups against Eastern Conference teams. 

Prediction: OVER 241.5 total points

Player Prop Bet

My key player to watch in this Eastern Conference matchup is Tyrese Haliburton. He currently has -111 odds of scoring more than 21.5 and -123 odds of finishing with less than the projected scoring total. 

Haliburton has suited up against the Sixers just seven times in his career, and he is averaging 20.3 points per contest, which is slightly lower than the 21.5-point total for this contest. However, in three regular-season games against the Sixers last season, Haliburton averaged 24.7 points and 12.7 assists per outing on 59 percent shooting from the field and 43.5 percent from 3-point range. 

This season, the fifth-year point guard is averaging a career-best 23.8 points per contest. Additionally, he has scored 22-plus points four times across his last six outings. Given his recent body of work, it would be a good bet to go with the OVER for Haliburton here. 

Prediction: Tyrese Haliburton OVER 21.5 points

My second key player to watch is Sixers’ big man, Joel Embiid. He currently has -115 odds of scoring more than 32.5 points and -110 odds of scoring less than 32.5 points. 

Embiid has suited up against the Pacers 19 times, and during that stretch he’s averaging 31.2 points per contest. This is just slightly less than the projected scoring total for this matchup. 

In three regular-season matchups against the Pacers last season, Embiid averaged 33 points per outing. The reigning MVP is averaging 32.4 points per contest this season, and he has scored 33-plus points in three of his last four outings. With that in mind, it is reasonable to go with the OVER for Embiid. 

Prediction: Joel Embiid OVER 32.5 points

James’s Picks

• Spread: Sixers (-6.5)
• Over/Under: OVER 241.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #1: Tyrese Haliburton OVER 21.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #2: Joel Embiid OVER 32.5 points