NBA odds, betting preview (Dec. 3): Pacers vs. Raptors predictions

The Toronto Raptors will play the second contest of their current seven-game homestand when they host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

Toronto split a home-and-home set with Miami to close off last week, with the home team claiming a win and covering the spread in each matchup.

Indiana has dropped five of its last eight games, including a Nov. 18 matchup with the Raptors in which the Pacers failed to cover as 3.5-point favourites in a 130-119 loss to Toronto. The teams combined to soar over the 236.5-point game total.

Tuesday’s contest will count towards the NBA Cup standings, but both the Pacers and Raptors have already been eliminated from advancing to the next round with identical 0-3 records in group play.

Let’s dive into the game odds for Tuesday’s clash between the Pacers and Raptors.

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Betting Indiana Pacers (9-12 SU, 7-13-1 ATS, 15-6 o/u)

After an impressive 47-35 campaign last year, the Pacers have dug themselves a hole this season and find themselves sitting in eighth in the Eastern Conference standings heading into this matchup. The team has been dealing with early injury woes, but key players are slowly returning to the lineup, which should help the Pacers march back towards the .500 mark by Christmas.

One of those key players is Canadian Andrew Nembhard, who returned to action Sunday after missing 12 games with knee inflammation. He finished with 14 points in just 15 minutes as the team slowly eases him back into action. The guard broke out during Indiana’s playoff run last season, averaging 14.9 points and 5.5 assists per game.

The Pacers rank 27th in defensive rating (119.0), which is one of the reasons why they own the best over record in the NBA (15-6) to this point. They also average 114.7 points per game (10th in the league), so they’re no strangers to high-scoring affairs.

It’s worth noting that this is the first half of a back-to-back set for the Pacers, who will also play Wednesday night in Brooklyn.

Betting Toronto Raptors (6-15 SU, 14-7 ATS, 11-10 o/u)

The Raptors will take a three-game home winning streak into action on Tuesday, which began on Nov. 18 against Indiana. They’re an impressive 7-2 against the spread at home, and they’ve also played over the total in seven of their nine games at Scotiabank Arena.

RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes are leading the way for the Raptors, with Barrett averaging career highs in points (23.7), assists (6.2), and rebounds (6.3). He’s eclipsed the 30-point plateau six times already this season and breached the 20-point mark in seven of his last eight games. Barnes finished just one assist shy of recording his second consecutive triple-double on Sunday, but he’s finished with a double-double in four straight games, averaging 25.3 points, 6.3 assists, and six rebounds in that span.

Toronto is doing the majority of its damage in the paint, ranking second in the league with an average of 56.9 points per game. Jakob Poeltl ranks fifth in the NBA in total points in the paint (274).

Pacers vs. Raptors injuries

F Bruce Brown (knee), F Kelly Olynyk (back), and G Immanuel Quickley (elbow) are out for the Raptors. G Gradey Dick (calf) is questionable.

The Pacers will be without F Aaron Nesmith (ankle), G Ben Sheppard (oblique), F Isaiah Jackson (Achilles), and C James Wiseman (Achilles). G Andrew Nembhard (knee) is questionable.

Pacers vs. Raptors betting trends

• The over is 5-0 in the past five meetings.
• The Raptors are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games.
• The Pacers are 0-7-1 ATS in their last eight games.
• The Pacers are 2-9 SU and 3-8 ATS on the road this season.

Pacers vs. Raptors player prop trends

• Myles Turner has scored 17 or more points just once in his last seven games. He’s around -130 to score under 16.5 points against the Raptors.
• Scottie Barnes has hauled in 10 or more rebounds in each of his last four games. His rebounds line is 8.5 (around +105 odds). Barnes has also recorded two or more threes in four straight games and five of his last six. He has around +110 odds to hit that mark at most sportsbooks.
• Tyrese Haliburton has turned the ball over two or more times in five straight games and six of his last seven. He’s around -160 to commit over 1.5 turnovers.

Pacers vs. Raptors best bet

• Scottie Barnes over 1.5 threes made: +128 (best odds @ NorthStar Bets). We’re getting tremendous value on this player prop, especially considering Barnes has averaged 7.3 three-point attempts in six games since returning from injury. He’s shooting just 29.5 percent from long range during that span, but head coach Darko Rajakovic is urging him to attempt even more three-point shots heading into this matchup. If he answers the call of his head coach, we could see him attempt closer to 10 3-point shots, and we need just two to drop in order to cash this prop at plus money.

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