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The Indiana Pacers host the Washington Wizards for an Eastern Conference battle on Sunday. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a Wizards-Pacers prediction and pick.
The Wizards hosted the Boston Celtics for an NBA Cup game on Friday night and lost 108-96. For the majority of the game, the Wizards played well enough to throw the Celtics off. Boston would recover and control the fourth quarter en route to a needed win. Washington is now 2-12 on the year and will likely finish with the worst record in the East if not the entire league this season.
The Pacers are also struggling this season. After making a run to the Eastern Conference Finals a season ago, the Pacers were projected to compete for the title this year. They have seen little success so far but there is still plenty of time to turn things around. At 6-10, they are 11th in the conference but only a game out of 6th place. The East as a whole has been a disaster this season outside of the Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Here are the Wizards-Pacers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.Â
NBA Odds: Wizards-Pacers Odds
Washington Wizards: +11 (-110)
Moneyline: +385
Indiana Pacers: -11 (-110)
Moneyline: -500
Over: 241.5 (-110)
Under: 241.5 (-110)
How To Watch Wizards vs. Pacers
Time: 5:00 ET/2:00 PT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Indiana, Monumental Sports Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Wizards Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Wizards have a chance to cover this spread, especially if they play with the same hustle on the defensive end as they did against Boston. They forced the Celtics into tough shots which was enough to keep it close against the defending champs. The Pacers are not playing well and the Wizards have a good chance to escape with an upset win.
Jordan Poole leads the team averaging 21.2 points per game and adds 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals. Kyle Kuzma has missed a few games this year but is second on the team in points at 17.4. Bilal Coulibaly has really impressed this season. He is third on the team in points at 14.1 and adds 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.6 assists per game.
The Wizards bring Jonas Valanciunas off the bench for really the only time in his career. He has been a solid starter since 2012 and at 32 years old, has plenty of game left in him. He’s averaging 12.5 points per game which is more than he did last year. He can be a good veteran presence for rookie Alexandre Sarr. Sarr isn’t having an electric rookie season but the Wizards knew that when drafting him second overall. His potential is high and has been a steady defensive player to begin his career. He’s averaging 2.0 blocks and 0.7 steals per game to go with his 9.8 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Saddiq Bey will be out for this contest.
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Why the Pacers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Pacers are heavy favorites despite not having Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith available. Those two played at a high level in the playoffs a season ago and were a huge reason for their run to the ECF. The Pacers have lost three straight games and have a chance to get back on track against one of the worst teams in the league.
The biggest reason for the Pacers’ lack of success this season has been the poor play from star Tyrese Haliburton. He has been inconsistent offensively and as a result, is only averaging 15.5 points on 37.8% shooting. Haliburton is 7th in the NBA averaging 8.5 assists per game so he is getting his players involved.
Pascal Siakam is the team’s leading scorer averaging 20.8 points per game on 55.4% shooting and adds 6.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Having Bennidict Mathurin back is crucial as he missed the end of last year and the playoffs. He is second on the team in points at 18.9 and averages 6.8 rebounds as well. The former Arizona Wildcat is also shooting 51% from the field and needs to become the go-to guy offensively.
Final Wizards-Pacers Prediction & Pick
The Pacers need this win badly to kick-start them into getting their season back on track. I expect them to win this game but I like the Wizards to cover 11 points.
Final Wizards-Pacers Prediction & Pick: Wizards +11 (-110)
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