The Los Angeles Lakers (41-32) will aim for their sixth consecutive victory when they face the Indiana Pacers (41-33) on Friday night. Los Angeles is coming off a 136-124 win over Memphis on Wednesday, and it also beat Indiana in a 150-145 final last Sunday. The Pacers wrapped up a five-game road trip on Wednesday, falling to Chicago in a 125-99 final. They are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, while the Lakers are in ninth place in the Western Conference.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Indiana is favored by 3.5 points in the latest Pacers vs. Lakers odds, while the over/under is 243 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Lakers vs. Pacers picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 23 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 77-50 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,500. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Los Angeles vs. Indiana. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Lakers vs. Pacers:
- Pacers vs. Lakers spread: Pacers -3.5
- Pacers vs. Lakers over/under: 243 points
- Pacers vs. Lakers money line: Pacers: -156, Lakers: +131
- Pacers vs. Lakers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Lakers can cover
Los Angeles is playing its best basketball of the season, rattling off five consecutive wins to move into ninth place in the Western Conference. The Lakers are only 2.5 games back of Dallas for sixth place, which is the final spot that avoids the play-in tournament. Their winning streak includes a 150-145 win over Indiana last Sunday, as Anthony Davis poured in 36 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.
They added a 128-124 win over Milwaukee as 9.5-point road underdogs on Tuesday, with Austin Reaves posting a triple-double and hitting a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 38 seconds remaining in double overtime. LeBron James had a triple-double of his own in a 136-124 win over Memphis on Wednesday, finishing with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. The Lakers have won 10 straight games against Eastern Conference opponents, and they are 6-2 in the last eight meetings between these teams. See which team to pick here.
Why the Pacers can cover
Indiana has won seven of its last 12 games as it tries to hold off Miami and Philadelphia for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers mounted a huge fourth-quarter comeback that fell just short in the loss to the Lakers on Sunday, as Pascal Siakam finished with 36 points and 12 rebounds. They bounced back with a 133-116 win over the Clippers on Monday, pulling off the upset as 6-point underdogs.
Siakam had 31 points on 12 of 20 shooting in that game, while center Myles Turner added 24 points and seven rebounds. Davis (knee) and James (ankle) are both game-time decisions for Friday's contest, so the Lakers could be without some star power in this matchup. Indiana has covered the spread in six of its last seven home games against Los Angeles. See which team to pick here.
How to make Pacers vs. Lakers picks
The model has simulated Lakers vs. Pacers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Pacers vs. Lakers, and which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Lakers vs. Pacers spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 77-50 roll on top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
