Indiana Pacers (23-47) vs. Houston Rockets (17-52)
March 18, 2022 8:00 pm EDT
The Line: Houston Rockets +2.5; Over/Under: +239
(Get latest betting odds)
The Houston Rockets play host to the Indiana Pacers at the Toyota Center on Friday night.
The Indiana Pacers have been in rough shape as they’ve lost five of their last six games overall and they will be hoping for a better showing after getting thrashed by the Grizzlies in a 135-102 loss on Tuesday. Jalen Smith led the team with 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench, Buddy Hield and Terry Taylor each scored 14 points while Duane Washington Jr. chipped in with 13 points. As a team, the Pacers shot just 42 percent from the field and six of 30 from the 3-point line as they never looked in the contest after getting outscored by 74-49 in the first half. Oshae Brissett scored just seven points on three of 12 shooting while Tyrese Haliburton finished with just four points on two of nine shooting.
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets have been in rough shape as they’ve lost 16 of their last 18 games overall and they will be hoping to arrest a three-game skid after getting routed by the Suns in a 129-112 loss on Wednesday. Jalen Green led the team with 22 points on nine of 15 shooting, Kevin Porter Jr. added 21 points with eight assists while Christian Wood chipped in with 18 points and nine rebounds. As a team, the rockets shot 49 percent from the field and 16 of 39 from the 3-point line as they kept pace with the Suns in a tightly contested first half, before getting blown away with a pivotal 25-10 run in the third quarter from the Suns.
Looking at the betting trends, the Pacers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against a team below. 400 and 37-16 ATS in their last 53 games following a double-digit loss at home. The Rockets are 11-30 ATS in their last 41 games as an underdog, 21-51 ATS in their last 72 home games and 11-28 ATS in their last 39 games overall.
Head to head, the under is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings overall and the Pacers are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings overall.
The Pacers have been in poor form and they are going to be severely shorthanded again with Goga Bitadze and Chris Duarte both listed as questionable for this one, while the Rockets will likely be without Eric Gordon who is questionable with an illness. This is another game on the slate I’d rather stay away from as both teams are just so inconsistent, but if I had to choose, I’d lean towards the Pacers to get the job done in a close one.
