Pacers hope for the home bonus!
The Indiana Pacers await the Lakers on game day 20 in the NBA. The home side are only third-last in the Eastern Conference and have a win percentage of around 42 per cent, which can be improved. The visitors, for their part, arrive in ninth place in the West and last night stopped by the New York Knicks.
The duel with the men around Julius Randle ended with a 100:106 defeat. For the upcoming game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse between the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers, the tip is aiming for a home win.
Indiana Pacers – statistics & current form
The Indiana Pacers have had a mediocre season so far, but this was to be expected. Ex-Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, who has been in charge of the team from the Central Division since this season, had to do without important players like small forward T.J. Warren right from the start.
The 28-year-old has yet to play a game this season and even if the healing process of his injured foot continues to progress, the former Suns player will not return before January next year. However, the Indianapolis pros have stabilised in the meantime nonetheless.
Sabonis slowly improving again
While six of the first seven games of the season were lost, the balance is now somewhat friendlier with eight wins and eleven losses. Domantas Sabonis, among others, has improved at the five.
The Lithuanian scored 21 points and eleven rebounds in the most recent game against the Bulls. This was his 13th double-double of the season – only Rudy Gobert from Utah can top this in the NBA.
Malcolm Brogdon is also back on board. The point guard had already been out of action due to injuries this season, but he is currently fit and with an average of 20.9 points Brogdon is the best shooter of the 2000 Eastern Conference winner.
Pacers back Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Indy can also take heart from its home strength. Five of the seven home games played have been won, resulting in an impressive win rate of 71.4 percent. Against this backdrop, the odds on at least 109 points by the home side in the duel between the Pacers and Lakers are just as good.
The additional tip is supported by the previous yield of an average of almost 111 points in the games on home turf.
Predicted Indiana Pacers line-up:
LeVert – Sabonis – Turner – Duarte – Brogdon
LA Lakers – Statistics & current form
The Los Angeles Lakers were able to end a streak of three straight defeats with a narrow win in Detroit on the penultimate day of play. In the match, however, King James was sent to the showers early after intentionally punching his opponent Isiah Stewart in the face.
For this unsportsmanlike action, to say the least, the 36-year-old had to sit out the last game. For LBJ, it was only the second time in his long career that he was sent off the court, and a game suspension was even a first for him.
The action also showed that the nerves in LA are a bit frayed. Head coach Frank Vogel’s team has so far fallen short of expectations with a win percentage of 47.4 per cent.
“Brodie” slowly arriving in LA
While newcomer Russell Westbrook has become more of a fixture in the Pacific Division squad, leading the Lakers to victory after LeBron James was ejected in the fourth quarter in Detroit, things don’t seem to be going quite right in La-La Land.
The 19-time Western Conference winners simply lack the necessary consistency in their performances, resulting in embarrassing defeats like the one against the Timberwolves a week ago.
In addition, recent top games such as against the champions from Milwaukee or the in-form Bulls from Chicago were lost, which is why a question mark must be placed behind the maximum performance of the Lakers.
Westbrook with more than 18 points?
Because “Brodie” is improving, the odds on Russell Westbrook scoring more than 18.5 points in the Pacers’ game against the Lakers are also good. Compared to the previous month, he has increased his average point output by more than two points to an average value of 20.9 and in four of the past five games he exceeded the selected limit.
Predicted LA Lakers line-up:
James – Jordan – Davis – Bradley – Westbrook
Indiana Pacers – LA Lakers Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
The hosts from the “Racing Capital of the World” lost the last direct duel on their own turf with 115:122 last May. For the 17-time champions, it was their first win after eight previous losses in the Hoosier State! For the upcoming edition of Indiana vs Los Angeles, the odds are now leaning slightly in favour of the hosts.
Indiana Pacers – LA Lakers Tip
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle knows how to pull punches: When his team recently delivered another poor first half against the Hornets, he let his starting five stew in the second period.
The lesson was understood and a series of three defeats was ended in the penultimate game with a win against New Orleans. On top of that, they won the last game against the Bulls from Chicago, who have been one of the positive surprises in the NBA so far.
For the meeting of the Pacers and Lakers, the tip includes the next win for the home side. The home strength of the basketball players from the Circle City also speaks in favour of this and the guests have not yet reached their potential performance strength.
The noble squad with LeBron James and Anthony Davis was expanded with Russell Westbrook by another superstar, but so far there is still little luster in the performances of the Californians. In the offensive and defensive rating, the guests instead only take below-average rankings.
On top of that, they have a physical disadvantage as they are contesting a back-to-back. Unibet offers odds of 1.61 on the Indiana Pacers vs. Los Angeles Lakers match-up for the prediction.
