OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Best Bet: Back to the Future
OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Best Bet: Wednesday, January 18th
Nice and comfy win for us on Monday night, as the Grizzlies easily covered the 10-point spread against the Suns. But Wednesday is already here and we have 10 games on the slate with more than enough betting value. I’m turning my attention to the OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers game as I see an opportunity for some hidden value.
In this article:
OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Preview
Thu Jan 19th. 00:00 (UK time)
The OKC Thunder are good. Despite being one of the youngest teams in the league, they are actually winning some games this season, and are now 2 wins away from .500 and maybe even a playoff spot. With a 21-23 record, they are 10th in the Western Conference and riding a 3-game winning streak on the road. They make their way back to Oklahoma City for a single game tonight before heading back on the road to face the Sacramento Kings. The Thunder are coming off a 102-112 win against the Nets where Josh Giddey and Gilgeous-Alexander went off for 28 points each, whilst Dort also contributed with 22.
Last season, the OKC Thunder were one of the most elite teams against the spread despite winning just 24 games all year, and this season is not much different. They are playing much better and have covered the spread in 14 of their 22 home games so far, ranking them 7th in the league in that regard. The Thunder have actually played some very good defence this year, ranking 4th in defensive rating over their last 5 games and 5th in net rating. Not much else to say about this team, other than this is the perfect time to back them against a team that is on a 4-game losing streak.
After an impressive start to the 2022/23 NBA season that saw them hovering around the top of the conference, the Indiana Pacers have fallen down to solid ground. They are now 8th in the Eastern Conference with a 23-22 record and coming off a 132-119 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Pacers haven’t been very good on the road this year, winning 8 of their 21 games, but they have covered the spread in 11. Nothing to write home about, but it’s not like they have been the doormat of the conference. A huge reason behind this team’s poor form has been the knee injury to Tyrese Haliburton, who will be missing tonight’s game along with Kendall Brown and Daniel Theis.
The Pacers are a team that loves to push the tempo, ranking 6th in pace rating, but they also make a lot of mistakes, committing 15.2 turnovers per game. Their play deteriorates on the road quite a bit, with their net rating falling from -4.1 to -9.9 when playing away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Pacers have also been one of the worst defensive sides this year, ranking among the bottom 10 in both defensive rating and points allowed per game. They have only covered the spread in 1 of their last 5 games, and I don’t expect them to bounce back against the Thunder tonight.
OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Best Bet
The OKC Thunder have been in great shape these last few games, and are in a great position to take advantage of a struggling eastern team. They are on a 3-game winning streak, having covered the spread in each of their last 6 games and are playing in front of their home fans, where they have a 13-9 record.
- Selection: OKC Thunder -4.0
- Best Odds: 1.95 (Lasbet)
- Stakes: 4/10
Odds as of 12:00 pm January 18, 2023. Odds may now differ.
More OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Tips
