The Indiana Pacers (23-22) challenge the visiting Charlotte Hornets (22-23) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 10 and can be seen on FxI and FxS.
The Pacers lost a tough one against the Clippers 91-89 in their last game. Paul George recorded 31 points and 11 rebounds, earning his 10th double-double of the year. The Hornets, meanwhile, are coming off a 129-128 win over the Kings in their last outing. Troy Daniels led the team in scoring by accounting for 28 points on 10-for-15 shooting.
Myles Turner has taken his game to another level as of late for the Pacers, averaging 19.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.6 steals, and 2.8 blocks over the last five games. Kemba Walker has also been on fire in the same span, averaging 32.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers while leading the Hornets.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, the turnover story could loom large in this showdown. Charlotte commits the fewest errors in the NBA (turnover percentage of 12.2%), while Indiana’s gambling defense causes the fourth-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 16.2%).
The Pacers look to build on their records of 28-24 Straight Up (SU) and 27-25 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 28-24 SU and 27-25 ATS versus the Eastern Conference. Something to watch out for is if Indiana can force its opponents into turnovers and convert them into baskets. They’ve done an excellent job of that all year with an average of 20.3 points off turnovers per game.
Across the court, Charlotte has a SU record of 26-26 and an ATS record of 25-26-1. Charlotte has records of 26-26 SU and 25-26-1 ATS against the East. Charlotte is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the league, hitting .794 of their shots from the line. 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 1.78.
The conference rivals will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their previous head-to-head meeting, Indiana came out on top, bumping its SU record to 8-2 over the Hornets in their last 10 meetings. With a 5-4-1 record, the Hornets have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ind
Notes
“Indiana is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana’s last 6 games “.
“Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“Indiana is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Charlotte”.
“Indiana is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games when playing Charlotte”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana’s last 11 games when playing Charlotte”.
“Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana’s last 7 games when playing at home against Charlotte”.
“Charlotte is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana”.
Indiana puts up an average of 102.7 points per game (ranked ninth). Charlotte ranks 13th in points allowed per game with 101.0.
Charlotte ranks 13th in points allowed per road game (104.2 PPG), while Indiana ranks 16th in points per home game with 103.2.
The Charlotte Hornets won their last game by a one-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, the Indiana Pacers are 3-7. Charlotte is 2-4 in close games this season.
Charlotte has a solid 16-6 record when it gives up under 100 points this season. Indiana is 9-10 when it scores under 100.
Charlotte is a losing 6-17 when it allows 100 or more points. Indiana has a 14-12 record when it hits triple digits.
The Pacers have a defensive rating of 100.0, fourth-best in the NBA. The Hornets also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 104.1 (ranked ninth).
The Indiana Pacers average a field goal percentage of 44.6% this season. The Charlotte Hornets have a poor record of 7-12 when opponents have a FG% of 44.6% or greater.
On average, the Indiana Pacers attempt 23.0 three point field goals per game and the Charlotte Hornets attempt 29.0 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, Indiana has a 12-10 record and Charlotte has a 20-17 record.
The fifth-ranked team, Charlotte has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.78 this season. Indiana ranks lower at 27th with an A/TO of 1.37.
The Indiana Pacers rebound 43.6 times per game and are ranked 14th. Ranked 12th, the Charlotte Hornets rebound 43.7 times per game.
The Charlotte Hornets rank 24th in offensive rebounding, while the Indiana Pacers rank 17th in defensive rebounding.
Indiana has forced one of the highest average turnover rates this season with 16.2% (ranked fourth). In games where their turnover rate is 16.2% or higher, Charlotte is an even 3-3.
