The Indiana Pacers will travel to the Verizon Center to take on the Washington Wizards. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 5 and can be seen on FxI and WA2.
The Wizards are hoping for a better outcome after their 108-83 loss to the Cavaliers on Friday. John Wall was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points. The Pacers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 108-101 loss against the Hornets on Friday. Paul George led the game in scoring with 35 points.
Over the last five games, Wall has taken his game to another level for the Wizards, averaging 22.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 three-pointers.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Wizards had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 118-104 win. Wall was the game’s top overall scorer with 28 points.
The Wizards come into this game 30-31 Straight Up (SU) and 32-28-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 30-31 SU and 32-28-1 ATS against the Eastern Conference.
In the other locker room, the Pacers have a record of 31-31 ATS and 32-30 SU. Against the Eastern Conference, Indiana is 32-30 SU and 31-31 ATS. Teams with weak ball handling have not fared well against the Pacers, who rank fourth in the league with 9.1 steals per game. Indiana is the best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 19.3 per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Washington beat Indiana, but the win was not enough to overtake Indiana in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Pacers hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ind
Notes
“Washington is 4-0-1 SU in its last 5 games “.
“Washington is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington’s last 6 games at home”.
“Washington is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Indiana”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington’s last 5 games when playing Indiana”.
“Washington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana”.
On average, Indiana puts up 102.3 points per game (ranked 16th). Washington ranks 23rd in points allowed per game with 104.4.
Washington ranks 23rd in points allowed per home game (103.9 PPG), while Indiana ranks ninth in points per away game with 101.8.
The Washington Wizards have a winning record (19-5) when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Indiana Pacers are 10-15 when they don’t hit triple digits.
At 11-26, the Washington Wizards have a poor record when their opponents score at least 100 points. The Indiana Pacers are 22-15 when they put up triple digits.
The Wizards have an offensive rating of 103.1 (ranked 19th). The Pacers rank fourth for their defensive rating of 100.6.
Washington averages fewer possessions per game than Indiana, with 99.6 compared to 99.8. However, the Wizards score an average of 1.031 points per possession, more than the 1.024 that the Pacers score.
The Washington Wizards have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 10th in the league with an EFF% of 50.7%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Indiana Pacers have a subpar 4-17 record.
Washington makes an average of 23.8 assists per game (ranked sixth), while Indiana makes 20.7 assists per game (ranked 23rd).
Washington makes an average of 4.0 blocks per game (ranked 25th). Indiana ranks higher in blocks with 4.8 (ranked 16th).
Washington is ranked 29th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Indiana ranks 11th in defensive rebounds.
Indiana averages 9.1 steals per game, ranking fourth in the league. Washington is a losing 8-15 when it gives up at least 9 steals.
