The Toronto Raptors travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, pitting the fifth-ranked offense against the third-ranked defense. The game begins at 7:30 pm ET on Thursday, Apr. 21 and will air on NBA and TSN.
The Pacers were beaten by the Raptors 98-87 on Monday. Paul George was the game’s leading scorer with 28 points.
It will be a matchup of strength versus strength, as the high-powered offense of the Raptors (fifth in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 107.9) take the court against the stingy defense of the Pacers (third in the league with a defensive efficiency of 100.8).
The Pacers are hoping to build on their records of 46-38 Straight Up (SU) and 43-41 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 46-38 SU and 43-41 ATS against teams from 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 19.0 points off turnovers per game to lead the league.
In the other locker room, the Raptors have a record of 45-38-1 ATS and 57-27 SU. Toronto has records of 57-27 SU and 45-38-1 ATS against the East. Toronto’s defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking third in the NBA with only 98.1 points allowed per game.
Toronto beat Indiana in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against the Pacers to 8-2 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. Furthermore, the Raptors lead the matchup ATS with a record of 8-2.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tor
Notes
“Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana’s last 5 games “.
“Indiana is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Indiana is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana’s last 8 games at home”.
“Indiana is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Toronto”.
“Indiana is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Toronto”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana’s last 5 games when playing Toronto”.
“Indiana is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Toronto”.
“Indiana is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Toronto”.
Indiana ranks 17th in points per game with 102.0, while Toronto ranks third in points allowed with an average of 98.1 given up.
On average, Indiana puts up 102.9 points per home game (ranked 21st), while Toronto gives up 98.0 points per away game (ranked second).
The Indiana Pacers have a winning record (33-7) when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Toronto Raptors are 15-12 when they don’t hit triple digits.
The Indiana Pacers have a poor 13-31 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Toronto Raptors are 42-15 when they hit triple digits.
The Pacers have an offensive rating of 102.9 (ranked 22nd). The Raptors rank 11th for their defensive rating of 103.2.
Indiana averages 99.1 possessions per game, scoring 1.029 points on each possession. While Toronto averages fewer possessions per game with 95.0, the team scores more points per possession with 1.079.
Toronto has an average effective field goal percentage of 50.2%. Indiana is an underachieving 8-24 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Indiana makes an average of 21.1 assists per game (ranked 22nd), while Toronto makes 18.7 assists per game (ranked 29th).
The Indiana Pacers average 4.8 blocks per game for a rank of 17th. The Toronto Raptors rank higher (11th), earning 5.5 blocks each contest.
Indiana is ranked 19th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Toronto ranks 18th in defensive rebounds.
The Indiana Pacers rank third in steals, with an average of 9.0 per game. When the Toronto Raptors allow at least 9 steals, they have a winning 13-5 record.
