Two teams who shared a bit of history in the past few years will clash in what will be the Pacers’ home debut. The crowd will be ecstatic to welcome their team home, and with the Heat visiting, it should be a proper spectacle. So who will have the edge in this, let’s find out?
Pacers Betting Preview:
The Indiana Pacers entered this season with heightened expectations than they had last year. For the most part, the team remained the same, and the Pacers will fancy themselves as a playoff team, especially in the East, where a lot of teams have question marks. Last year was a proper dumpster fire from a coaching standpoint, and getting Carlisle back should stabilize things.
Rick has made a habit of making teams play hard even when their talent level might not be up to par. The Pacers are certainly not the most talented team in the East, but they have professionals on that roster that will get the job done most of the time. If they find a common understanding with Carlilse and his ideas, people should count on the Pacers to find a way to squeeze into the postseason.
Heats Betting Preview:
Everything is known about the famed Miami Heat culture. A team that never tanks and always finds a way to reinvent themselves year in year out. Compared to last year, the roster is improved, and that should translate to the court. Spoelstra has a firm grip on the group of players he has, which should allow him to get the team chemistry going sooner than many other teams.
Last year’s broom to Milwaukee left a bitter taste in the mouth of many in South Beach, and they will look to rectify that his year. A lot will depend on the performance of the players, with Butler and Lowry foremost. If they can deliver near all-star seasons, the Heat will be in the mix.
Key matchups
Sabonis – Tucker/Adebayo
One simple takeaway from the Pacers opening match was that Sabonis would be the key man for the team. The Lithuanian is arguable the most talented player on the roster, and he should see the most touches. That will be the case in this match, and with an undersized PF in Tucker guarding him, Sabonis might have a field day. Even so, counting out Tucker in that matchup would be silly as he is one of the best defenders in the league. Bam Adebayo might also guard him from time to time, especially when Turner sits.
Holiday – Butler
Holiday is a capable defender, not as good as his brother but good enough. He will have his hands full against Butler, who looked excellent in the Heat’s dismantling of the Bucks. The key aspect for Holiday will be keeping Butler off the line, which will be tough. If he can keep him below 20 points, the Pacers will have a better chance of winning this.
Pacers – Heat – betting lines
The Pacers are +4,5 points at home, and while it may seem high initially, it’s something worth thinking about. The Heat impressively dismantled the Bucks at home, which means they are ready to go. On the other hand, the Pacers have some issues, and this will be the 2nd night of a back-to-back. They played overtime in Washington, losing out on a last-second 3. In the circumstances like that, I back the Heat -4,5.
The over/under is set at 223,5, and I would think the under is more likely. The Pacers will try to keep the match close, presumably playing at a slower pace. As I see a blowout likely, I think the Pacers won’t score enough to put this over the limit. If the Heat splashes 130 again, things might be different, but the under is still more likely.
