At 7:00 ET, the Pacers (-158) will host the Lakers (+132) in a non-conference matchup. Indiana (-3.5) is currently 6th in the Eastern Conference and 3rd in the Central Division, while Los Angeles (+3.5) is 9th in the Western Conference and 4th in the Pacific Division. The over/under line for the game is 242 points.

This game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and can be seen on BSIN.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS INDIANA PACERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Los Angeles Lakers +3.5

This game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 7:00 ET on Friday, March 29th.

WHY BET THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 117-114 in favor of the Lakers.
  • Our projections have LeBron James finishing with LeBron James points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Lakers finishing with a field goal percentage of 49.0% and knocking down 14 threes.

Does Los Angeles Have a Shot at a Road Win?

The Lakers have won five straight games and are currently 9th in the Western Conference with a record of 41-32. In the Pacific Division, they are in 4th place.

On the road, the Lakers are 14-20 straight-up and 15-19 against the spread. Today’s spread is 3.5 points, and the Lakers have covered the spread in their last two road games.

This season, the Lakers have been the underdog in 33 of their 73 games. As the underdog, they have a straight-up record of 14-19 and 17-16 vs. the spread. Their O/U record as the underdog is 39-27, and the average scoring differential in these games is -4.3 points.

In their most recent game, the Lakers defeated the Grizzlies by a score of 136-124. The O/U line for that game was 224 points, and the Lakers were favored by 4.5 points going into the game.

For the season, the Lakers have an O/U record of 42-31, and the over has hit in their last three games. Today’s O/U line is set at 242 points, which is higher than the average of 235.9 points in their games this season.

When it comes to scoring, the Lakers are 7th in the NBA at 118.1 points per game. However, they are actually scoring more on the road (116.9) than at home (119.1).

So far, the Lakers have outscored the NBA scoring average in 54.8% of their games. In terms of field goal percentage, they are 3rd in the league at 49%.

One area where the Lakers are struggling is offensive rebounding, as they are last in the NBA in that category. In terms of pace, they are 3rd in the league at 101.2 possessions per game.

Facing Indiana, the Lakers aims for a better defensive performance, given their current average of 117.8 points allowed per game (23rd). Los Angeles’ defense is currently forcing 13.2 turnovers per game, which is 19th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 10th in blocked shots, with an average of 5.6 rejections per game.

Will Indiana Make it Happen at Home?

In Pacers games this season, the average over/under line has been 241.9, which is just below today’s line of 242. The team’s O/U record for the season is 37-37.

When looking at their scoring differential as the favorite, the Pacers have gone 20-16 straight-up and 16-20 against the spread. On average, they have outscored their opponents by 5.4 points per game as the favorite.

Indiana’s last game finished with a combined score of 224 points, falling short of the O/U line of 234.5. The Pacers also lost the game to the Bulls by a score of 125-99. Indiana was favored by 2.5 points in that game, resulting in an ATS loss.

This season, the Pacers have an ATS record of 39-33, going 18-17 ATS at home and 21-16 ATS on the road. As the favorite, they are 16-20 ATS compared to 23-13 ATS as the underdog.

Looking at the Eastern Conference standings, the Pacers are currently in 6th place with a record of 41-33. In games against other Eastern Conference teams, they are 28-18 compared to 13-15 against the West.

At home, the Pacers are the top-scoring team in the NBA, averaging 125.1 points per game. Overall, they lead the league with an average of 122.9 points per game. In terms of pace, Indiana is second in the NBA at 101.4 possessions per game.

When it comes to shooting, the Pacers are the top team in field goal percentage at 50%. However, they are just 14th in three-point attempts per game and 9th in three-point shooting percentage at 37%.

So far this season, Indiana has outscored the NBA scoring average in 71.6% of their games. In terms of assists, they lead the league with an average of 30.6 per game.

As they prepare for the upcoming game, the Pacers is focused on shoring up their defense, as they are currently allowing an average of 120.9 points per game (29th). In their previous game, the Pacers’ defense struggled against the Bulls, giving up 125 points on a field goal percentage of 40%.