Trail Blazers vs Pacers Odds, Lines & Picks (Jan. 6)

• The Trail Blazers vs Pacers odds are listed as a pick’em ahead of Friday’s contest
• Indiana is looking to extend its home winning streak to five games
• Check out the latest Trail Blazers vs Pacers odds and predictions

Two teams that have exceeded preseason expectations through the first three months of the NBA season square off on Friday, as the Pacers (21-18, 13-7 home) host the Trail Blazers (19-18, 10-12 away).

Indiana in particular has been one of the biggest surprises of the campaign, as they currently sit seventh in the East standings. That’s ahead of not only the Heat, last year’s conference final runner-up, but also in front of the Raptors and Bulls who were also playoff teams.

Trail Blazers vs Pacers Odds

Odds as of January 5 at Barstool. Claim the Barstool Sportsbook promo code to bet on the Trail Blazers vs Pacers game.

Despite their impressive 21-18 start, the Packers are still not getting much love in the NBA odds. Online sportsbooks didn’t even give them favorite status against Portland, opening the Trail Blazers vs Pacers odds as a pick’em.

Judging by the early betting action, that line could be moving in Indiana’s favor. As of Thursday evening, 59% of the bets are on the Pacers as is 58% of the handle.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 pm ET at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN, a building where the Pacers have excelled at recently.

Trail Blazers vs Pacers Betting Analysis

Indiana enters play riding a four-game home winning streak, and has won six of its last eight overall. They’re fresh off a heartbreaking loss the 76ers, falling 129-126 in OT to the top-nine NBA Championship odds contender.

Buddy Hield led the way with 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Tyrese Haliburton finished with 16 points and 12 dimes. Haliburton currently leads the NBA in assists, averaging a whopping 10.2 per night. He also leads the Pacers in scoring at over 20 points per night, and is one of four Indiana starters that average north of 16 points.

Players to average 20 PPG, 10 APG and 40 3P% in a season:

— Tyrese Haliburton (this season)

That’s it. pic.twitter.com/ENuDCzDOyU

— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 3, 2023

The balanced scoring has led the Pacers to the league’s 10th best offensive rating. Not bad for a team projected to finish last in the East, and 29th overall.

If there’s a downside to this roster, it’s at the defensive end. Indiana ranks 23rd in defensive rating, and 21st in points allowed.

Portland meanwhile, is off to a 19-18 start after being projected to finish in the bottom-10 of the league. They’re clinging to the 7th seed in the West, in spite of a pretty miserable recent stretch. The Trail Blazers have dropped five of their last seven outings, most recently falling at Minnesota.

That's a wrap.#RipCity pic.twitter.com/LLGLyvPArF

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 5, 2023

Portland shot 44% from the field, but just 31% from 3, committing 18 turnovers while getting abused in the paint. The Trail Blazers were outscored by 16 down low, continuing their trend of poor post defense. Portland ranks 22nd in points in the the paint allowed and that could be a big problem versus Indiana. Over the past three game, the Pacers are averaging over 60 points in the paint, the fourth highest mark in the NBA.

Like their Friday opponent, defense has prevented Portland from even further exceeding expectations this season. They rank 21st in defensive rating and 19th in opponent field goal percentage.

Trail Blazers vs Pacers Predictions

These two teams met just over a month ago, with Portland claiming a convincing 116-100 home win. A lot has changed since then, and the way the Pacers are playing, especially at home, we shouldn’t expect a repeat performance.

Indiana is 13-7 at home, and over the last seven games boast the NBA’s fourth best offensive rating. They’re a league best 24-15 against the spread, covering in five straight outings. The Pacers are also 10-4 against the spread in their own building when the line is -1 or lower.

NBA Offensive Rating – Last 7 Games