Saturday NBA Picks: Nets vs. Pacers

Brooklyn Nets (15-12 SU, 11-15-1 ATS) vs. Indiana Pacers (14-12 SU, 15-11-0 ATS)
When: Saturday, December 10th, 7:00 PM (ET)
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, IN, Indianapolis
TV: YES

Point Spread: BKN -1.5/ IND +1.5
Total: OFF
Money Line: Brooklyn Nets -123/ +100

Notable Injuries

Nets

• T.J. Warren (Out) Injury Management
• Yuta Watanabe (Probable) Hamstring
• Nicolas Claxton (Out) Hamstring

Pacers

• Daniel Theis (Out) Knee
• Chris Duarte (Out) Ankle
• Isaiah Jackson (Questionable) Knee

Recent Form

Heading into the game, Brooklyn is 15-12 overall. When taking to the road, Brooklyn has a mark of 5-7 and a win percentage of 42.0%. Currently, the team is 4th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 11-15-1 vs. the spread. In their matchup against Indiana, the Brooklyn Nets have won 2 straight games and will look to push that mark to 3 in a row.

Most recently, the Nets took down the Hawks by a score of 120-116. Kevin Durant finished with 34 points, which was the most on the team. Brooklyn did not cover the spread as 7-point favorites.

Heading into the game, Indiana is 14-12 overall. When playing at home, Indiana has a mark of 8-4 and a win percentage of 67%. Currently, the team is 5th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 15-11-0 vs. the spread. In Indiana’s last five games, the Pacers have a straight-up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 in those games. Going back to the last 10, they are 4-6 SU and 4-6 ATS.

In their last game, Indiana defeated the Wizards (121-111) as 4-point favorites. Buddy Hield led the team with 28 points on 63.2% shooting. The Pacers also covered the spread with the victory.

The Historicals

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Pacers picked up the win 125-116 win over the Nets. Heading into the game, Indiana was the 11.0-point underdogs, giving them an ATS win. So far this season, the Pacers have a record of 2-1 vs. the Nets. When looking at how these teams have performed against the spread in recent matchups, the Pacers hold the edge at 5-0. However, the average scoring margin in these matchups has been tight, sitting at just 1 point per game. In these contests, they averaged a combined 243 points per game, leading to an over-under mark of 4-1.

Analysis

This season, the Nets’ offense is averaging 111.6 points per game, which is 17th in the NBA. In terms of pace, Brooklyn has been playing at one of the slower tempo’s in the league, averaging just 98.0 possessions per game. Brooklyn heads into the game as one of the top 3-point shooting teams in terms of percentage. So far, they have hit 37.4% of their looks from deep. However, they are currently ranked just 23rd in 3-point attempts per contest. On defense, the Nets allow an average of 112.12 points per game, placing them 18th in the league. So far, they have done a good job defending the 3-point arc, as teams are hitting just 34.46% of their looks from deep.

Kevin Durant is the top scorer for Brooklyn, averaging 30.0 points per game. This season, his field goal percentage is 55.6%. The team’s second-leading scorer is Kyrie Irving, with an average of 25.3 points per game.

This season, Indiana is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 115.2 points per game. So far, the Pacers are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 101.5 possessions per game. Indiana’s offensive attack has benefited from some hot shooting from outside. Not only are they among the league leaders in 3-pointers attempted per game, but they are 12th in 3-point shooting percentage at 36.4%. Defense has been a struggle for Indiana, as they are currently just 114.94 in points per game allowed. The team’s 3-point shooting defense has been a problem this year. So far, opposing offenses have hit 36.78% of their looks from the outside.

Coming into today’s game, Benedict Mathurin is the leading scorer for Indiana at 18.1 points per game. This season, Mathurin has a field goal percentage of 41.7%. The team’s second-leading scorer is Tyrese Haliburton, at 19.5 points per contest.

More Picks: Boston at Golden State 12/10 game privew with recommended bet

Betting Trends

• The Nets are 20-45-4 ATS in their last 69 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Nets are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Pacers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
• The Pacers are 8-2 ATS in their last ten home games.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

The Pacers are a good home team and catching the Nets on a back-to-back with travel. I like the Pacers to win straight up here!

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

The Pacers are a good home team and catching the Nets on a back-to-back with travel. I like the Pacers to win straight up here!