2023 Indiana Pacers Predictions with Futures Odds and Expert NBA Picks
The Indiana Pacers put 35 wins on the board last season, their best since 2020. Led by budding superstar Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers front office is quietly confident this team will be playing meaningful April basketball. Will this be the year the Pacers can win a playoff series for the first time since 2014, or will it be another disappointing season for the Indiana faithful?
Doc’s Sports offers NBA expert picks for every game on our NBA predictions page.
Offseason Recap
After missing the play-in tournament by 5 games, there was pressure on the front office to upgrade. On draft night, the Pacers had a whopping 5 selections to make, and were crafty with their draft day deals. After picking up Bilal Coulibaly with the 7th overall pick, they immediately traded his rights to the Wizards in exchange for the 8th pick, and a pair of future second round picks. They picked up Jarace Walker, who is a perfect fit in Indiana. His rebounding and defensive abilities will fill holes that plagued the Pacers last season, and he’ll be fighting for his starting lineup spot with Obi Toppin.
The Pacers picked up Toppin in the offseason for similar reasons, as while the 25-year-old hasn’t had a great start to his NBA career, he still has the potential to play meaningful minutes in the squad.
While these were great additions to the team, their best move of the summer was adding free agent Bruce Brown. Brown was a critical 6th man for the Denver Nuggets title run last year but wanted to get a starting role elsewhere after his contract expired. He’ll have a much higher percentage of the ball in Indiana, as he’ll become a focal point of the offense with Haliburton. Brown brings a winning mentality to a team that lacks true leadership, and his presence in the squad will help not only on the court, but off the court too.
Indiana Pacers Season Expectations
The Pacers have limited expectations this season. While it appears they are on the verge of coming out of their rebuild, they lack the superstar talent to thrive in a very competitive Eastern Conference. Haliburton will once again be tasked with being the focal point on the offensive end of the court. His 10.4 Assists last year was good for second in the league, and his 20.7 PPG was a career high. Haliburton is able to keep his head up, draw defenders in, and find the open man. Double digit assists in what was a pretty lackluster offense is very impressive. And with key pieces like Brown expected to make an offensive impact, we could see this number climb even higher. However, with a win total of 37.5 wins, and +160 odds attached to their postseason participation, the Pacers are still a few years away from having legitimate title hopes. Myles Turner has turned out to be a very effective big man, but otherwise, Indiana has lacked the size to stay competitive on the glass. Another 9th-12th place finish in the East appears to be on the horizon, as the Pacers didn’t make significant enough moves in the offseason to warrant any higher expectations.
Indiana Pacers Schedule Breakdown
The Pacers start the year off at home, with 7 of their first 9 games being played at the comfort of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. However, back-to-back games in Philadelphia, shortly followed by a 6-game road trip featuring a pair in Miami, and visits to Milwaukee and Minnesota, could see the Pacers with a suboptimal record after a third of the season. A daunting late season road trip against the Lakers, Clippers, and Warriors has the potential of shattering their late season playoff push, as the Pacers were dealt a tough schedule to navigate this season.
Indiana Pacers Odds
The Pacers win total is set at 37.5 wins, which feels a tad high. Their streak of 9 postseason appearances in 10 seasons was snapped in 2021, and they’ve finished the year with 34, 25, and 35 wins since. They are +160 to make the postseason, and a mammoth +10000 to win the conference. In the mid-season tournament, a group featuring the 76ers, Cavaliers, Hawks, and Pistons leaves little margin for error, and they are +600 to take home top spot there. The betting markets for the Pacers are understandably fruitful. However, expecting this squad to have the consistency needed to succeed is a tall order.
Indiana Pacers 2023-24 Season Predictions
I’ll be fading Indiana at any chance I get. The Pacers failed to make the significant moves necessary to compete yet are surprisingly expected to outperform each of their last 3 seasons. Haliburton is tasked with a bulk of the offensive production, whether it’s setting up his teammates or taking it to the hoop himself. His injury concerns, coupled with the lack of quality squad depth, has me struggling to see how the Pacers surpass other teams with similar win totals, such as the Magic (36.5), Raptors (36.5) and Bulls (37.5). It will be a dogfight for the final play-in tournament positions. Therefore, while holding a -160 ticket all season isn’t ideal, it feels like free money for them to miss the postseason. I expect them to finish the year 29-53, falling well short of anything meaningful aside from another high draft pick. Take the Under on the 37.5-game win total, and watch the Pacers languish at the bottom of the standings all year long.
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