While Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors have garnered a bunch of national media attention for their surprisingly solid exploits so far this season, Victor Oladipo and the Indiana Pacers have been just as impressive, even if they don’t get nearly the same amount of national media coverage.
Now, with both teams looking to extend modest winning streaks in their mid-week matchup on Wednesday night, let’s find out which team is offering the best betting value in this contest.
Raptors vs Pacers NBA Odds & Game Prediction
It’s @TangerineHoops Raptors Game Day!
Game #50 of the season going down in Indy. #WeTheNorth Preview » https://t.co/kWIC2xXCMP pic.twitter.com/ROJVeUJ6Yi — Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 23, 2019
- When: Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 7:00 PM ET
- Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
- TV: TSN
- Radio: Toronto / Indiana
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- NBA Odds: Indiana -2.5 / Total: 217.5
Why Bet on Toronto at +2.5?
Why should you consider betting on Toronto in this contest? Well, there are a handful of great reasons. First, the Raptors are playing excellent basketball having won three straight and eight of their last 10 games overall. Toronto is coming off a 120-105 win over Sacramento on Tuesday night that I perfectly predicted to the exact score in the MYBookie NBA Sportsbook earlier in the day.
The Raptors got the win despite playing without superstar leader Kawhi Leonard who was expected back for the affair after missing the previous two games for rest. Toronto is 11-2 without Leonard this season and got the win on Tuesday by placing six players in double figures in scoring, including point guards Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet who both finished with a team-high 19 points.
“At this point nobody’s 100 percent healthy,” VanVleet told reporters. “You’ve gotta be a professional, take care of your body, try to be the best version of yourself that day and go out there and lay it on the line. So, barring anything major, I’ll be out there scrapping and clawing and giving it what I’ve got.”
Another great reason to back the Raptors in this one is because they’ve got the higher scoring offense by five points per game, not to mention they’ve got a winning record on the road at 15-9.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 114
- Field Goals: 17.36%
- Three Points: 34.48%
- Free Throws: 79.76%
- Rebounds: 44.94
- Average Score Against: 108.20
- Field Goals: 45.24%
- Three Points: 34.69%
- Free Throws: 76.23%
- Rebounds: 45
Why Bet on Indiana at -2.5?
Why should you consider betting on Indiana in this mid-week matchup? There are a handful of great reasons, starting with the fact that the Pacers have won two straight and four of their last five games overall. Indiana comes into this affair off an emphatic 120-95 beatdown of Charlotte on Sunday that saw all-star shooting guard Victor Oladipo score a team-high 21 points while dishing out seven assists.
“We just tried to prepare ourselves defensively, making sure it was tougher for them than it was in the last game,” guard Victor Oladipo said after getting revenge against the Hornets for an earlier 26-point loss to Charlotte.
Another great reason to back the Pacers in this one is because they’ve got the league’s best defense in limiting the opposition to just 103.1 points per contest, while ranking a stellar fifth in field goal defense (44.5%).
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 108.96
- Field Goals: 48.05%
- Three Points: 37.44%
- Free Throws: 74.84%
- Rebounds: 43.85
- Average Score Against: 103.11
- Field Goals: 44.43%
- Three Points: 36.11%
- Free Throws: 76.74%
- Rebounds: 42.78
Raptors vs Pacers NBA Betting Trends
- Toronto is 1-8 ATS in the last 9 games on the road
- Toronto is 3-6 SU in the last 9 games on the road
- The total went OVER in 6 of Toronto’s last 7 games on the road
- Indiana is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games
- Indiana is 4-1 SU in the last 5 games
- The total went OVER in 9 of Indiana’s last 12 games
Expert Analysis and Prediction for Raptors vs Pacers
Indiana is playing at home where they’ve gone a stellar 17-6 this season and Kawhi Leonard is out of the lineup for Toronto in this one. The Raptors are also playing on the second night in a row and Indiana is well-rested and likely to be highly motivated after getting smacked around by the Raptors 121-105 on Jan. 6, at home no less.
Toronto has gone 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games against their Eastern Conference counterparts and an awful 1-8 ATS in their last nine road games. Conversely, Indiana has gone a near-perfect 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games against a team with a winning road record, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall and a bankroll-boosting 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following a ATS win. With the Pacers going 4-1 ATS in their last five home dates against To9ronto, I think Indy is close to a lock pick in this one!
NBA Betting Pick: Indiana 111 Toronto 105
