The Toronto Raptors will play the second contest of their current seven-game homestand when they host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
Toronto split a home-and-home set with Miami to close off last week, with the home team claiming a win and covering the spread in each matchup.
Indiana has dropped five of its last eight games, including a Nov. 18 matchup with the Raptors in which the Pacers failed to cover as 3.5-point favourites in a 130-119 loss to Toronto. The teams combined to soar over the 236.5-point game total.
Tuesday’s contest will count towards the NBA Cup standings, but both the Pacers and Raptors have already been eliminated from advancing to the next round with identical 0-3 records in group play.
Let’s dive into the game odds for Tuesday’s clash between the Pacers and Raptors.
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| Pacers moneyline odds | -150 |
| Raptors moneyline odds | +125 |
| Spread odds | Pacers -3 (-110), Raptors +3 (-110) |
| Game total | Over 238.5 points (-110), Under 238.5 (-110) |
| Date/Time | Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m. ET |
After an impressive 47-35 campaign last year, the Pacers have dug themselves a hole this season and find themselves sitting in eighth in the Eastern Conference standings heading into this matchup. The team has been dealing with early injury woes, but key players are slowly returning to the lineup, which should help the Pacers march back towards the .500 mark by Christmas.
One of those key players is Canadian Andrew Nembhard, who returned to action Sunday after missing 12 games with knee inflammation. He finished with 14 points in just 15 minutes as the team slowly eases him back into action. The guard broke out during Indiana’s playoff run last season, averaging 14.9 points and 5.5 assists per game.
The Pacers rank 27th in defensive rating (119.0), which is one of the reasons why they own the best over record in the NBA (15-6) to this point. They also average 114.7 points per game (10th in the league), so they’re no strangers to high-scoring affairs.
It’s worth noting that this is the first half of a back-to-back set for the Pacers, who will also play Wednesday night in Brooklyn.
The Raptors will take a three-game home winning streak into action on Tuesday, which began on Nov. 18 against Indiana. They’re an impressive 7-2 against the spread at home, and they’ve also played over the total in seven of their nine games at Scotiabank Arena.
RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes are leading the way for the Raptors, with Barrett averaging career highs in points (23.7), assists (6.2), and rebounds (6.3). He’s eclipsed the 30-point plateau six times already this season and breached the 20-point mark in seven of his last eight games. Barnes finished just one assist shy of recording his second consecutive triple-double on Sunday, but he’s finished with a double-double in four straight games, averaging 25.3 points, 6.3 assists, and six rebounds in that span.
Toronto is doing the majority of its damage in the paint, ranking second in the league with an average of 56.9 points per game. Jakob Poeltl ranks fifth in the NBA in total points in the paint (274).
F Bruce Brown (knee), F Kelly Olynyk (back), and G Immanuel Quickley (elbow) are out for the Raptors. G Gradey Dick (calf) is questionable.
The Pacers will be without F Aaron Nesmith (ankle), G Ben Sheppard (oblique), F Isaiah Jackson (Achilles), and C James Wiseman (Achilles). G Andrew Nembhard (knee) is questionable.
The post NBA odds, betting preview (Dec. 3): Pacers vs. Raptors predictions first appeared on Raptors Republic.
