NBA Play-In: Charlotte Hornets vs. Indiana Pacers Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Charlotte Hornets and the Indiana Pacers meet in the first game of this year’s play-in tournament. The tenth and the ninth seeds clash at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse, to decide who goes to the next stage of the tournament and gets a chance to enter the playoffs. The Hornets are in terrible shape, having several consecutive losses at the moment. At the same time, on the other side, Indiana battles with numerous injuries and is undoubtedly the unluckiest team in the league in this area.

Preview

Charlotte Hornets (33-39, +115) have five losses in a row, six in the last seven games. In the worst possible time this season, the franchise from North Carolina slowed down, making its life much more complicated. Overall, the Hornets had a promising start, and at some point, the analyst predicted them the fourth spot in the East. Yet injuries cut their progress, pulling James Borrego’s guys behind.

The most recent loss was in Washington against the Wizards, in the game that decided which one of these two sides takes the 8th seed in the conference. The team from DC won, 115-110.

Terry Rozier scored 22 points and was close to reaching a triple-double, having nine boards and assists. LaMelo Ball’s presence on the court is good news for Borrego, with the top candidate for winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award looking well. He had 19 points against the Wizards.

Indiana Pacers (34-38, -125) defeated the Toronto Raptors in the latest game, snapping a two-match losing streak to Milwaukee and the LA Lakers, both in Indianapolis. The contest vs. Raptors ended 125-113, with Oshea Brissett leading the way.

The former Raptor had apparently had a massive motive against his former team, ending the night with 31 points—his career-high. Brissett had 10 boards as well. Domantas Sabonis had 25 buckets with 16 boards, five dimes, and three steals, shooting 12-for-18 from the field. What made the difference here were the fast break points, as Pacers had 23, 13 more than its rivals.

The Pacers appeared without several big-time names. Aaron Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon, and it seems that only Brogdon has realistic chances of appearing on Tuesday night. This is yet another jinx for the Pacers.

Head to Head Games

The Hornets and the Pacers met three times this year. Charlotte has two wins and Indiana just one, in the first meeting of the year, 116-106. The second game took place two days afterward, and the Hornets won, 108-105. Both were in North Carolina. The lone one in Indianapolis saw the guests rolling over the Pacers, 114-97.

Prediction

If Brogdon plays, we are all in on the Pacers. His presence on the court has a massive impact, especially because Brogdon and Sabonis create a powerful axis, which is Indiana’s biggest weapon. Their two-on-two game allows other players to have more freedom and space. So you will need to monitor the news frequently and see what is happening with the former Milwaukee Bucks’ guard. If he is in, feel free to bet on the Pacers’ win with the spread -3.5 points. If not, we would still back up the Pacers’ win, only without the spread and with lesser money.