Well, the Toronto Raptors video production team didn’t have much time to put together a Pascal Siakam tribute. Spicy P makes his return to The Six on Wednesday night when the Indiana Pacers take on the Raptors.
But once what I’m sure will be a touching tribute is in the rearview mirror, the focus will be on the court where both teams are looking to turn things around. The Pacers and Raps are both coming off embarrassing losses in their previous games.
So, who will turn things around tonight? The NBA odds are giving the edge to Indiana.
Will Siakam be a key contributor? I break down this Eastern Conference matchup and bring you the best bet in my NBA picks and predictions for Pacers vs. Raptors on Wednesday, February 14.
Pacers vs Raptors odds
Pacers vs Raptors predictions
The shine that came when the Toronto Raptors first traded OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam has certainly faded. Toronto enters tonight’s matchup with the Indiana Pacers having lost 14 of their last 18 games overall. That includes a humiliating loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, a game in which they were favored by six points at home and were down by 30 points against the last-place team in the West.
It was flat-out ugly. And while their team shooting and ball handling have seen an improvement, the defense has fallen off a cliff. The only team in the NBA with a worse defensive rating than the Raptors since Jan. 1 (the first game they played after trading Anunoby) is the Detroit Pistons. Toronto also ranks 29th in rebounding rate over that period and has dropped to 24th in opponent effective field goal percentage for the season.
Like I said, ugly.
However, despite making the trade for Siakam, things haven't been all sunshine and roses for the Pacers either. They are just 6-8 straight up and 5-7-2 ATS since acquiring "Spicy P," with the latest loss coming against the lowly Charlotte Hornets as 10-point chalk. Now, some of that can be attributed to the fact that star point guard Tyrese Haliburton has been dealing with some injuries. But Indiana was likely hoping for a little more.
That said, they will have a great chance to get back on track against a Raptors defense that looks extinct. And it’s not only that they are not playing well. Head coach Darko Rajakovic has been saying effort has been a problem as well. Not something you want to hear about a young team.
Now, it has long been said that Siakam wanted to stay with the Raptors and would have likely signed an extension to stay. But the Toronto front office had other plans and shipped out the two-time All-NBAer. So, don’t be surprised if we see a little extra effort from Siakam here tonight to show his former team what they will be missing.
Spicy P has quietly done his thing as a member of the Pacers, putting up 21.7 points per game, which includes an impressive 42.5% from 3-point range. (Having Haliburton get you open looks must be nice). Siakam has always stuffed the stat sheet, so it's not surprising to see him also averaging 7.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists.
Today, I want to focus on the Pascal Siakam odds for assists. His assists Over/Under is sitting at 3.5 for this matchup. Siakam has gone Over that number in nine of his 14 games with the Pacers. And the Raptors not only give up a lot of buckets, they give up a lot of assisted buckets. Toronto allows the fifth-most opponent assists per game.
Pascal will want this win tonight, and he will do a little bit of everything, including getting his teammates involved. Take the Over 3.5 on his assists tonight.
My best bet: Pascal Siakam Over 3.5 assists (-115 at PointsBet)
Pacers vs Raptors same-game parlay
Pascal Siakam Over 3.5 assists
Andrew Nembard Over 8.5 points
Jakob Poeltl Over 12.5 points
This will be a Pascal Siakam-themed SGP. For starters, Spicy P won’t be the only one getting a homecoming tonight. Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard grew up just outside of Toronto.
Nembhard is averaging 8.9 points per game on 48.9% shooting this season. But that is up to 11.1 over his last 16 games. He has also hit double-digit point totals 11 times over that stretch. And with Tyrese Haliburton questionable once again, it could mean more minutes for Nembhard. Add the Over 8.5 points.
And poor Jakob Poeltl. The Raptors traded for the big man at last year’s deadline and he was reunited with his best friend, only to see him shipped off to the Pacers a year later. But Poetl will be all business tonight and gets a juicy matchup.
Poeltl averages 10.9 points per game this season, and that number is up to 13.2 in his first six full games back since returning from injury. Indiana ranks dead last in opponent points in the paint per game, and Myles Turner is also questionable for this one. Add Over 12.5 points for Poetl tonight.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Pacers vs Raptors spread and Over/Under analysis
The struggles for the Raptors have been real. Just four wins in their last 18 games, so it’s no surprise to see them open as 4-point home underdogs in this matchup against the 30-26 Pacers. That’s where the line sits as of early Wednesday afternoon.
But it’s hard to have faith in Indiana as well. The Pacers are just 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games when laying points. The problem is while the Pacers can put up points better than most, stopping opposing teams from getting buckets isn’t as easy. Indiana ranks 26th in defensive rating. And despite the Raps' struggles, when things click they can score in bunches.
On top of that, three key players for the Pacers are questionable in Haliburton, Turner, and Bennedict Mathurin.
This is a matchup of two very inconsistent teams, which means I’m staying away from the spread tonight.
My feelings about the total are pretty similar. At 245.5 it’s the highest total on the NBA odds board tonight, which makes sense. The Raptors can’t stop anyone and are going against the best offense in the Association. The Pacers also struggle on defense and the Raps can roll sometimes, particularly at home.
But once again, inconsistency plagues both teams. And with the potential injuries, I have a very slight lean toward the Under.
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Pacers vs Raptors betting trend to know
The Raptors are just 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Pacers vs. Raptors.
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Pacers vs Raptors game info
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, City, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Wednesday, February 14, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Indiana, Sportsnet |
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