Written by Rohit Ghosh
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San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers: East vs West
Winners of 17-consecutive games, the San Antonio Spurs visit the Indiana Pacers in a matchup that features two of the best teams in the league. While one is playing the best ball of the season, the other - Indiana - has struggled recently, especially following the trade deadline. When these two teams last met in December, the Pacers turned a 13-point deficit into a double-digit lead as they defeated the Spurs in San Antonio 111-100. Having lost both their road games last weekend against Washington and Cleveland, Indiana will be hungry to take care of business on their home floor.
Coach Popovich and the Spurs may be known for sitting out less meaningful matchups, but they do not enjoy losing to playoff-caliber talent. The Pacers stopped the Spurs’ 11-game winning streak earlier in the season and have a chance to stop another streak tonight. With home-court advantage on the line, Paul George will have to lead the way for the Pacers once again. In the previous matchup, George finished with 28 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Keep an eye on the Spurs level of focus in the middle two quarters. San Antonio was outscored by Indiana by 30 in the second and third quarters of the December 7 matchup vs Indiana.
Betting Trends
• Indiana is 0-5 against the spread (ATS) in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
• Bettors who took the UNDER for Pacers are 7-0 in last 7 games.
• San Antonio is 4-0 ATS in its last 4 games vs. a team with a winning percentage above .600.
• San Antonio is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games.
AccuScore has 4-star picks against the spread and on totals for this game: NBA Picks for every game.
What to Watch For
Indiana, a team that has built itself around defense and rebounding, must get back to those fundamentals. They have lost five consecutive road games, but more importantly, are losing because of a lack of defense. Since the trade deadline, the Pacers have given up close to 103 points per 100 possessions. If that had been their efficiency for the entire season, the Pacers would be dubbed an “average” defensive team. There has been a clear deterioration of the defense in the second half of the season. A defense that was holding opponents to just 33 percent shooting on about 19 three-point attempts per game in the first big chunk of the season is giving up nearly 40 percent shooting on 22 attempts in the last month. San Antonio gets about 25-26 points on average from beyond the arc.
The Spurs are just as good on the road as they are at home, having lost 8 games apiece. One of the key reasons San Antonio has such success on the road is due their tendency to start out hot. The Spurs are No. 2 in the league in first-quarter margin (+3.0), while Indiana is No. 18 (-0.1). Indiana is one of the best second half teams, but getting a lead back from San Antonio is much tougher done than said. San Antonio leads the league in average margin through three quarters (+6.2). Add in the fifth most efficient offense and making a comeback on this Spurs team is downright improbable.
