Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets Expert Predictions and Picks March 9
Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his expert predictions and picks for tonight’s Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets battle from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Both the Pacers and Rockets failed to reach 100 points in their first matchup with Indiana winning 99-91.
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Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets Betting Odds
| Thursday, March 9 | NBA Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Indiana Pacers -9.5vs Houston Rockets |
| Total: | 236 Points |
| Arena: | Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN |
| Game Time: | 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT |
| TV: | Bally Sports Indiana |
Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets Betting Analysis
Both teams are rested for the game tonight, and I don’t see anyone of note that is out tonight so we’ll get both teams starting lineups.
The Rockets are obviously going for Wembenyama as evident by their 15-50 record this year, and the Pacers have an outside shot at sneaking into the play-in games if they can pass the Bulls and Wizards with a late season surge.
Rockets With No Liftoff
Obviously, the Rockets higher ups have to be livid about Houston beating San Antonio twice recently, and that means the Rockets are 2-12 in their last 14.
Their last seven losses have been by double digits so when they lose, they lose big. Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green have been good on the stat sheet recently, but that’s about all I can come up with to be positive about the Rockets.
Obviously, if they get Wembenyama or the #2 pick as a nice consolation prize, this season will be deemed a success.
I don’t expect them to win many more games, and maybe they lose out all of them, but I will just say I won’t be betting on the Rockets ATS or ML the rest of the season. The last 15 games, the Rockets are dead last in defensive rating, and 23rd in offensive rating.
Pacers Play-In?
They’ll have to beat a couple great teams down the stretch, but they also have some matchups against the worst teams in the NBA, and if Washington or Chicago slip up, the Pacers can backdoor their way into the play-in game.
Haliburton has been fantastic recently, and they are 6-4 ATS their last 10 games. One of the problems with betting on the Pacers is that they don’t win by big margins.
They have only won two games by 10 points since Christmas so despite how good the matchup looks, I can’t take the Pacers to win by 10.
Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets Expert Prediction
I’ll take the under in this game. The Pacers defense is bad on the perimeter, and they’ve been in some shootouts recently, but I don’t think the Rockets can exploit it.
The Pacers played the Spurs, another horrible team on offense, on March 2nd and the total ended at 209. A lot has to go right to get over this total, and I’m not sold that both teams can contribute enough, especially the Rockets.
Turner can make life tough for Sengun, and Buddy Hield has been inconsistent recently. Too many paths to the under that I can’t ignore, I’ll take this to come in under 236.5.
Prediction: Under 236.5
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NBA Tip-Off Show | March 9
Join Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of professional handicappers for the NBA Tip-Off Show as we preview tonight’s NBA card from a betting perspective. We’ll go well beyond the Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets matchup. Stay up-to-date on the latest NBA news, stats, analysis, and predictions with our panel of pro sports bettors as they offer some of their favorite NBA best bets, player props and DFS recommendations on tonight’s slate. Oh, and don’t forget that WagerTalk now offers FREE XFL PICKS!
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Meet the Author
Andy Lang has lived in Indianapolis his whole life, and like most people from the Hoosier State, he became fascinated with motor sports. That interest in motor sports turned into a desire to make money off the sport through fantasy contests and sports betting. Like most, he took his lumps when he first got started, but now he is one of the most respected NASCAR bettors in the industry. Andy has expanded that sports betting experience to become profitable in a number of other sports, transforming this interest from a side hobby to a major source of income.
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