Revamped Pacers Host Young Oklahoma City Thunder
The young Oklahoma City Thunder (1-5 SU, 4-2 ATS, 1-5 O/U) have dropped three straight games in the BetUS Sportsbook. The Indiana Pacers (2-3 SU, 4-1 ATS, 3-2 O/U) have been a perplexing bunch in the early going of the 2008-09 NBA regular season.
Both teams will be looking to pick up a victory tonight for fans and BetUS NBA sports betting enthusiasts when they meet at Conseco Fieldhouse tonight.
Oklahoma City is coming off a close, 89-85 loss to the surprising Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, but managed to narrowly cover the spread as a 4.5-point home underdog.
Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 20 points on 9-for-21 shooting while rookie point guard Russell Westbrook added 15 points on 6-for-14 shooting. The Thunder however, shot an underwhelming 39.1 percent from the field despite out-rebounding the Hawks 48-44.
The Pacers emphatically spanked the New Jersey Nets 98-80 on Saturday to easily cover the spread as 8.5-point home favorites in the BetUS Sportsbook, snapping a two-game losing streak in the process.
Six players reached double-digits in scoring led by forward Danny Granger who scored 23 points despite shooting just 6-for17 from the field. Veteran forward Troy Murphy added 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field, including a blistering 4-of-7 from three-point range.
Here is a look at the key trends for each team, followed by my in-depth analysis and NBA Free Picks.
The Thunder are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning percentage of greater than .600.
The Thunder are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games.
The Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
The Pacers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
The Under is 5-0 in Thunder last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
The Over is 6-0-1 in Pacers last 7 vs. Western Conference.
The Over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Indiana.
The Over is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings.
The Thunder are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
NBA Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder +11 -110
Indiana Pacers -11 -110
Over 193½ -110
Under 193½ -110
Analysis: Despite losing both of their road contests this season by 12 and 13 points respectively, the Thunder have competed hard for head coach P.J. Carlesimo in every game they’ve played this season.
The Pacers, on the other hand, have been totally inconsistent this season, spanking the defending-champion Boston Celtics at home before getting routed by the Phoenix Suns in their very next contest.
While the Pacers will undoubtedly win this matchup at home, something tells me the Thunder are going to cover the spread while keeping the score relatively close throughout.
I like the Thunder – and the Under – in this matchup tonight.
