The Indiana Pacers (14-14) travel to face off against the Houston Rockets (15-12) on Tuesday, December 26th. This game will be played at Toyota Center. The Rockets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pacers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pelicans. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Pacers vs Rockets

The Pacers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In the Pacers’ most recent game against the Magic, Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 29 points while going 12/22 from the field. Myles Turner finished 2nd on the team with 24 points, but Indiana ended the game with a 117-110 loss.

Coming into their game against the Rockets, the Pacers are 14-14 overall and have a chance to go above .500. At home, the Pacers are 8-7 compared to their 6-7 record on the road.

Indiana has an ATS record of .500 for the season, and they stand at 14-14 ATS. Indiana has struggled to cover the spread in their last four road games and has an ATS record of 6-7 on the road, while it is 8-7 at home.

The Rockets Are Coming Off A Win

The Rockets clinched a 106-104 win over the Pelicans in their previous game. Prior to the game, the Rockets were the underdog at +7.5, earning both a straight-up and ATS victory. Regarding the over/under, the combined score of 210 points ended up below the over/under line of 225.

As we get ready for today’s game, the Rockets are looking to extend their two game winning streak. Overall, the Rockets are 15-12 this season, with a 12-2 record at home compared to a 3-10 record on the road.

Houston currently has an ATS record of 18-8, placing them above .500 against the spread. As the favorite this season, Houston is 7-1 vs. the spread while going 11-7 as the underdog.

Pacers Offense Breakdown

For the season, the Indiana offense is the 1st ranked unit in the NBA, at 126.5 points per contest. The Pacers come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 14.4 made 3’s per game. In addition to their strong outside shooting numbers, the team is playing at one of the fastest paces in the NBA, averaging 102.9 possessions per contest.

Rockets Offense Breakdown

Through 27 games the Rockets are averaging 111.6 points per contest, placing them 24th in the NBA. Coming into today’s game, the Rockets will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 12.3 made 3’s per game. If the Houston offense is going to improve, they must continue to do a good job avoiding turnovers. Currently, the unit is 10th in fewest turnovers per game.

Pacers Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Pacers’ defense has finished two straight games with an increased number of points allowed. Overall, they are 29 in the league at 125.8 points per game allowed.

In terms of two point field goal attempts, the Pacers defense has allowed a shooting percentage of 56.2% while allowing 39.3% from downtown.

Rockets Team Defense

This season, the Rockets defense has been impressive, holding the 2 position in the league while permitting an average of 107.7 points per contest.

Inside the arc, the Rockets defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 52.5% and 31.1% from three-point territory.

Key Players For The Pacers And Rockets

In today’s game, our projections have Tyrese Haliburton leading the Pacers with 14 points on 5/11 shooting from the field. During this season, he is delivering an average of 24.5 points per game, along with 3.9 rebounds.

On the opposing side, we anticipate Alperen Sengün to be the top scorer for the Rockets. Our projection has him finishing the game with 14, and he is expected to secure 6 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 53.3% and is averaging 20.4 points per contest.

Pacers vs Rockets Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Pacers have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 1-4 vs. the spread. The team averaged 118 points per game in this stretch.
• Houston has played well in their previous five home games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 114 points per game while allowing 113. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Pacers have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 0-3.
• Houston has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.

 

Pacers vs Rockets Prediction

 

Coming in as the underdogs at +3.5, we have the Pacers as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 238 and our model has the Pacers and Rockets finishing with a combined 222 points. Our pick is to take the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.