The Charlotte Hornets head to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to take on the Indiana Pacers. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 26 and can be seen on FxI and FxS.
The Pacers edged the Knicks 108-105 on Wednesday. Paul George was the game’s high scorer with 27 points on 10-for-23 shooting. The Hornets, meanwhile, are coming off a 114-103 loss at the hands of the Cavaliers on Wednesday. Kemba Walker had a team-high 20 points.
Over the last five games, Walker has been hot for the Hornets. During that stretch, he has averaged 25.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 3.0 three-pointers.
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 12.7%), while Indiana’s disruptive defense causes the fifth-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 15.8%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Hornets won the first game 117-95. Walker scored a game-high 25 points.
The Pacers have gone 31-26 Straight Up (SU) and 29-28 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 31-26 SU and 29-28 ATS versus the Eastern Conference. Indiana is one of the league’s top scoring teams off turnovers with an average of 19.6 points per game.
As for their opponent, Charlotte has a SU record of 29-27 and an ATS record of 28-27-1. In Eastern Conference games, Charlotte has gone 29-27 SU and 28-27-1 ATS. The Hornets are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .789 free throw percentage that ranks fourth in the NBA. The Hornets are a terror on the defensive glass, averaging an impressive 34.8 defensive rebounds per game.
Charlotte beat Indiana in their most recent meeting this season, but the win was not enough to overtake Indiana in the most recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 3-7 SU over the last 10 meetings. The Hornets hold the advantage ATS with a record of 5-4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ind
Notes
“Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Indiana is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games “.
“Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Indiana is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana’s last 6 games at home”.
“Indiana is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Charlotte”.
“Indiana is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games when playing Charlotte”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana’s last 12 games when playing Charlotte”.
“Indiana is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Charlotte”.
“Indiana is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Charlotte”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana’s last 8 games when playing at home against Charlotte”.
Charlotte ranks 15th in points per game with 102.0, while Indiana ranks ninth in points allowed with an average of 100.4 given up.
Charlotte scores an average of 100.5 points per away game (ranked 14th), while Indiana allows 98.7 points per home game (ranked seventh).
The Charlotte Hornets have a dazzling 22-7 record when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Indiana Pacers are 10-13 when they score less than 100.
The Charlotte Hornets have a subpar 7-20 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Indiana Pacers are 21-13 when they hit the century mark.
The Pacers have a defensive rating of 100.0, second-best in the NBA. The Hornets also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 104.0 (ranked 12th).
Indiana has an average field goal percentage of 44.8%. Charlotte is a losing 8-16 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
Indiana attempts an average of 23.0 three pointers per game, and Charlotte attempts 29.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Pacers have a 14-12 record while the Hornets have a 27-21 record.
The Indiana Pacers rank 25th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.39. The Charlotte Hornets have a higher A/TO (1.71), ranking 10th.
The Indiana Pacers rebound 44.1 times per game and are ranked 12th. Ranked 14th, the Charlotte Hornets rebound 43.9 times per game.
Indiana is ranked 13th in defensive rebounds, while Charlotte ranks 27th in offensive rebounds.
Indiana ranks fifth in forced turnovers with an average rate of 15.8%. Charlotte has a 6-7 record when they suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
