The Indiana Pacers (33-24) play host to the Charlotte Hornets (19-37) in an Eastern Conference tilt on Tuesday evening. The Pacers are without Jeremy Lamb (knee) and could be without Victor Oladipo (back), who is listed as questionable. The Hornets enter the game at full strength.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Sportsbooks list the Pacers as 10.5-point home favorites, holding steady from the opener, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 208.5 in the latest Hornets vs. Pacers odds. Before making any Pacers vs. Hornets picks or NBA predictions, see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and last season it returned a whopping $4,280 on its top-rated spread and money line picks. It's already returned well over $3,000 in profit on all top-rated NBA picks during the 2019-20 season and entered Week 19 a blistering 47-30 on all top-rated spread picks this season. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Pacers vs. Hornets. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are the NBA odds and trends for Hornets vs. Pacers:
- Pacers vs. Hornets spread: Pacers -10.5
- Pacers vs. Hornets over-under: 208.5 points
- Pacers vs. Hornets money line: Pacers -621, Hornets +453
- CLT: The Hornets are 3-1 against the spread in the last four games
- IND: The Pacers are 2-4 against the spread in the last six games
Why the Hornets can cover
The model has considered that, despite difficult circumstances on the road, the Hornets have some strengths to lean on against Indiana. Charlotte is a very good offensive rebounding team, which could provide a path to more efficient scoring against the Pacers. Defensively, the Hornets have an above-average turnover rate and they hardly ever foul to send opponents to the free-throw line.
In fact, Charlotte leads the league in that category, which could be key against Indiana. The Hornets also have plenty of firepower in the backcourt, with Devonte' Graham averaging 17.6 points and 7.7 assists per game and Terry Rozier leading the team with 17.7 points to go along with 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
Why the Pacers can cover
Even so, Charlotte isn't a lock to cover the Pacers vs. Hornets spread. The model also has considered that the Pacers are in a favorable position, beginning with edges on the offensive side. Indiana is great at protecting the ball, cutting down transition opportunities for its opponents, and the Pacers boast a top-10 mark in shooting efficiency.
On the defensive side, the Pacers have a top-12 overall unit that features very strong metrics in shooting efficiency allowed and turnover rate. Considering that the Hornets rank as a bottom-five offense in the NBA, the Pacers should be able to put up plenty of resistance, while turning defensive stops into advantageous situations offensively.
How to make Pacers vs. Hornets picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, with Domantas Sabonis and Miles Bridges projected to outscore their season-long averages. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations.
So who wins Hornets vs. Pacers? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Pacers vs. Hornets spread you need to jump on Tuesday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
