Indiana Pacers (12-15) vs. Phoenix Suns (14-11)
December 19, 2024 9:00 pm EDT
The Line: Phoenix Suns -6.5; Over/Under: +232.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Indiana Pacers and the Phoenix Suns duke it out at the Footprint Center on Thursday night. Here’s a Phoenix Suns vs Indiana Pacers Prediction. This article will include a Phoenix Suns vs Indiana Pacers Pick.
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are starting to turn things around as they have won three of their past four games and they will be looking to maintain that momentum after routing the Pelicans in a 119-104 win on Sunday. Pascal Siakam led the team with 22 points on eight of 16 shooting, Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points with 10 assists while Andrew Nembhard chipped in with 17 points and seven assists. As a team, the Pacers shot 50 percent from the field and 16 of 38 from the 3-point line as they played great defense to limit the Pelicans to just 14 points in the second quarter before the Pacers exploded for 40 points in the third quarter to put the game to take a 25-point lead and put the game to bed early.
Phoenix Suns
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns have been in decent shape as they’ve won four of their last seven games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after beating the Trail Blazers in a 116-109 home win on Sunday. Devin Booker led the team with 28 points and five assists, Kevin Durant added 20 points with seven assists while Tyus Jones chipped in with 19 points on eight of nine shooting. As a team, the Suns shot 48 percent from the field and 15 of 39 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with 33 points in the first quarter to take an early lead, but they couldn’t gain any real separation until the fourth quarter where they caught fire to lead by as many as 16 points.
Why the Phoenix Suns will win
- The Suns have won each of their last 16 games against Central Division opponents that held a losing record.
- The Pacers have lost each of their last six road games following a win.
- The Pacers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last eight night games following a home win.
- The Suns have covered the spread in each of their last three home games against Central Division opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Pacers’ last six road games against Western Conference opponents has gone OVER the total points line.
- Eight of the last nine games between the Pacers and Suns at Footprint Center have gone UNDER the total points line.
Phoenix Suns Player Facts
- Tyus Jones ranks 1st amongst qualified players for assist:turnover ratio (6.6) this season.
- Jusuf Nurkic ranks 4th amongst qualified players for rebounds per 36 minutes (14.6) this season.
Indiana Pacers Player Facts
- Myles Turner ranks 4th amongst qualified players for Blocks Per Game (2.1) this season.
- Tyrese Haliburton ranks 5th amongst qualified players for assists per game (8.6) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Suns rank 30th for points in the paint (1020) this season.
- The Suns rank 28th in the league for opponent turnovers per game this season (12.9).
- The Pacers rank 30th for second-chance points per game (9.7) this season.
- The Pacers rank 29th in the league for rebounds per game this season (39.9).
Phoenix Suns vs Indiana Pacers Prediction
The Pacers are still missing a few players, Ben Sheppard, Isaiah Jackson, and James Wiseman, while the Suns are still missing Bradley Beal. The Pacers were really struggling for a few weeks, but they are finally starting to heat up again, while the Suns have continued to tally up the wins despite missing Beal who is again out injured. the Suns were far from convincing in their win over the Trail Blazers and I’m expecting a similar result here as the Suns get the win, but the Pacers get the cover in the end.
