The Charlotte Hornets head to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to take on the Indiana Pacers. The game gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 3 and will air on SPSO and FSN-IN.
The Pacers lost to the Celtics 100-87 on Wednesday. George Hill finished with 21 points to lead the game. The Hornets, meanwhile, are coming off a 102-78 win over the Pistons on Wednesday. Kemba Walker stood out for Charlotte, recording 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Over the last five games, Hill has really been playing well for the Pacers. During that stretch, he has averaged 23.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 3.0 three-pointers.
The defense for Indiana should have a clear edge in terms of effective field goal percentage. They rank fourth in the league in forcing misses (opponents’ effective field goal percentage of 48.2%), while the offense of Charlotte is 30th with a mark of 45.9%. Put-back points also figure to be rare for the Hornets. They rank 29th in the NBA in offensive rebounding (offensive rebound percentage of 22.1%), while the Pacers are second-best in the league on the defensive glass (defensive rebound percentage of 78.2%).
The Pacers have won two out of three against the Hornets this season, including a close 103-102 victory in their last matchup. In the loss, Al Jefferson had a double-double with 30 points and 13 rebounds.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Pacers are looking to improve on their records of 32-43 Straight Up (SU) and 38-34-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 23-24 SU and 24-21-2 ATS versus the Eastern Conference. Indiana’s defense is doing poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 107.0 points per game, well above their season average of 97.5. Teams have to fight for open shots against the Pacers, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the league at .437. The Pacers do a great job keeping their opponents off of the glass and limiting second-chance points. They average 34.2 defensive rebounds per game, which ranks fifth in the NBA.
On the other side, Charlotte has a SU record of 32-42 and an ATS record of 36-36-2. In Eastern Conference games, Charlotte has gone 24-21 SU and 24-19-2 ATS. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Hornets. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the league at 1.86. The Hornets are one of the top defensive teams in the league, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 97.1 points allowed per game. The Hornets have established a reputation of cleaning up the defensive glass with 34.4 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
Following the Pacers’ latest win over Charlotte, their SU record against the Hornets moves to 7-3 over the last 10 meetings. However, with a 6-3-1 record, the Hornets have the advantage ATS. Indiana held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers four times in the last 10, while Charlotte wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – IND, ATS Winner – IND
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana’s last 7 games.
Indiana is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games.
Indiana is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana’s last 7 games at home.
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Indiana is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games at home.
Indiana is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana’s last 10 games when playing Charlotte.
Indiana is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games when playing Charlotte.
Indiana is 6-12-1 ATS in its last 19 games when playing at home against Charlotte.
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte.
Charlotte ranks 26th in points per game with 95.2, while Indiana ranks seventh in points allowed with an average of 97.5 given up.
Charlotte scores an average of 94.6 points per away game (ranked 24th), while Indiana allows 96.3 points per home game (ranked sixth).
In contests where it has given up fewer than 100 points, Indiana has a 25-17 record. When Charlotte puts up fewer than 100, it is a losing 11-32.
The Indiana Pacers have an abysmal 7-26 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Charlotte Hornets are 21-10 when they hit triple digits.
The Pacers have an offensive rating of 100.4 (ranked 24th). The Hornets rank fifth for their defensive rating of 100.2.
The Charlotte Hornets average 96.9 possessions per game and .983 points per possession. The Indiana Pacers earn fewer possessions with 96.5, but they score more points with 1.004.
Indiana has an average effective field goal percentage of 48.2%. Charlotte is an underachieving 9-27 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Indiana makes an average of 21.3 assists per game (ranked 18th), while Charlotte makes 20.6 assists per game (ranked 25th).
The Indiana Pacers average 4.5 blocks per game for a rank of 20th. The Charlotte Hornets rank higher (seventh), earning 5.6 blocks each contest.
Indiana is ranked 23rd when it comes to offensive rebounding. Charlotte ranks third in defensive rebounds.
Indiana averages 6.1 steals per game. Charlotte is 20-27 when allowing at least 6 steals.
