Charlotte Hornets vs Indiana Pacers Betting Pick & Prediction 12/8/24

At 5:00 ET, the Pacers (-630) will host the Hornets (+459) in an Eastern Conference matchup. Indiana is favored by 11.5 points and has a record of 10-14, which is good for 9th in the East. Charlotte, on the other hand, has lost eight straight and is 14th in the conference at 6-17.

This game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and can be seen on FDSI. The over/under line for this matchup is 221.5.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS VS INDIANA PACERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Indiana Pacers -11.5

This game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 5:00 ET on Sunday, December 8th.

WHY BET THE INDIANA PACERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 117-103 in favor of the Pacers.
• Our projections have Pascal Siakam finishing with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
• From the field, we have the Pacers finishing with a field goal percentage of 50.0% and knocking down 12 threes.

Does Charlotte Have What it Takes on the Road?

The Hornets dropped to 6-17 on the season after a 116-102 home loss to the Cavaliers on Saturday. Charlotte entered the game as +13.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total score of 218 points narrowly missed the over/under line of 218.5.

Charlotte fell behind early after an 11-0 run by Cleveland, who led 40-18 after the 1st quarter. The Hornets fought back, outscoring the Cavs 34-23 in the 2nd quarter and 31-30 in the 3rd, but a 23-19 4th quarter by Cleveland sealed the win.

In their 116-102 loss to the Cavaliers, the Hornets struggled offensively, shooting just 43% from the field and 28.2% from three-point range, making 11 threes. Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 25 points, despite hitting only 33.3% of his shots and 23.1% from deep.

DaQuan Jeffries contributed 17 points, connecting on 60% of his field goals and 3 threes at 60% efficiency. Josh Green added 16 points, also hitting 3 threes, shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc.

Defensively, the Hornets struggled in the 1st quarter, giving up 40 points, but they tightened up in the 2nd and 4th, allowing just 23 points in each. Overall, they allowed 116 points on 50% shooting from the Cavaliers.

From beyond the arc, Charlotte gave up 14 threes on 36% shooting. They sent Cleveland to the line 24 times, where the Cavaliers hit 18 free throws. The Hornets finished with 6 steals and 5 blocks.

Taking a Look at the Pacers Chances at Home

Indiana improved to 10-14 on the season with a 132-123 road win over the Bulls on Friday. The Pacers, who were favored by 3.5 points, covered the spread with the nine-point victory. The game’s total of 255 points went over the line of 248.5 by 6.5 points.

After trailing 35-31 at the end of the 1st quarter, the Pacers took control by outscoring the Bulls 36-19 in the 2nd quarter. Although the Bulls edged Indiana 39-36 in the 3rd quarter, the Pacers entered the 4th with a 103-93 lead and held on despite being outscored 30-29 in the final period.

The Pacers’ offense was firing on all cylinders in their 132-123 win over the Bulls, shooting 56.5% from the field and hitting 18 threes at a 60% clip. Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 23 points, knocking down 5 threes at 55.6% efficiency.

Pascal Siakam added 21 points, connecting on 3 threes at 60%, while Bennedict Mathurin chipped in 19 points. Haliburton scored 9 points in the 1st quarter and 8 more in the 4th, while Obi Toppin poured in 10 of his 17 points in the 3rd quarter.

Despite a tough 1st and 3rd quarter, where the Pacers gave up 35 and 39 points respectively, they tightened up in the 2nd, allowing just 19 points. Overall, Indiana surrendered 123 points on 47% shooting from the field in their win over the Bulls.

The Pacers struggled to defend the three, with Chicago hitting 21 threes at a 42% clip. Indiana sent the Bulls to the line 12 times, where they made 10 free throws. The Pacers finished with 39 defensive rebounds, gave up 8 offensive boards, and recorded 9 steals and 4 blocks.