The Indiana Pacers host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tip-off is set for 7:00PM ET. Indiana comes in at 44-31 and sits fourth in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is near the bottom of the standings at 19-56 and has already been eliminated from playoff contention.
This is the third meeting between these teams this season. Charlotte won the last matchup in December by four points in Indiana. The Pacers are 7-2 in their last nine games, while the Hornets snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over Utah on Monday.
Pacers Preview – Looking to Lock in Home-Court
The Pacers are in a tight race to stay in the top four in the East. They held off the Kings 111-109 in their last game, despite being down two starters. Aaron Nesmith stepped up with 24 points and hit four threes. Tyrese Haliburton added 18 points and 11 assists, including the go-ahead bucket late in the fourth quarter.
Indiana continues to get strong production from its bench. Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker combined for 34 points and made 8 of 14 from three in the win over Sacramento. Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin are listed as day-to-day, but the team has been finding ways to win with or without them.
At home, Indiana has a 25-10 record and averages 115.3 points per game on defense. Their offense is led by ball movement and pace, ranking top 10 in assists. They’ll look to complete the season sweep of Charlotte at home.
Hornets Preview – Young Players Gaining Experience
Charlotte picked up a rare win on Monday, beating the Jazz 110-106. Miles Bridges led the way with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Hornets got good minutes from rookie KJ Simpson and second-year guard Nick Smith Jr., who helped close out the game late.
The Hornets have had a rough season due to injuries. LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Grant Williams are all out for the year. They are using the final stretch of games to give more minutes to their young core. Smith, Simpson, and Tidjane Salaun are all expected to play big roles again Wednesday.
Charlotte ranks last in field goal percentage and near the bottom in scoring at just 105.6 points per game. They are 7-30 on the road and have struggled to keep games close. However, they did upset Indiana in their last trip to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Betting Prediction
Indiana is favored by 14.5 points in this matchup. The Pacers are 25-10 at home and still playing for playoff position. Charlotte is giving extended minutes to young players and ranks near the bottom in most team stats.
The Hornets are just 12-26 ATS on the road and haven’t shown the ability to slow down strong offenses. Indiana has covered in 6 of the last 10 matchups against Charlotte. Look for the Pacers to take control early and cruise to a double-digit win.
Pick: Indiana Pacers -14.5
Take the Pacers to beat up on the Hornets in this one. We do not expect this game to be close on Wednesday.
