NBA: Pacers to cover spread as Raptors and Clippers win
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With the All Star break now over the NBA regular season is back with a bang and we’ve picked out three bets to make it a return to remember.
Backing Indiana’s number one-ranked defence to shut out the visiting Atlanta Hawks and cover the spread could pay dividends and when added to wins for the Clippers and the Raptors a treble is created paying out at over 5/1.
A stake of just £10 on this tasty trio could see a healthy return of £69.
The Pacers (40-12) went into the break on the back of a defeat but will welcome the arrival of Atlanta (25-26) as they look to cement their place at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
A record of 18-7 from their last 25 has given opponents hope in recent weeks but with Frank Vogel’s team 22-3 from 25 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse a convincing win looks on the cards here.
The Hawks head to Indiana looking to avoid a sixth-straight league loss, but with the Pacers letting up 10 points fewer per game, a halt to the skid is highly unlikely.
Atlanta have averaged just 84.5 points in their last four meetings with the Pacers and have conceded 103.8 per game over their last five on the road.
As such, expect the hosts to cover the 10-point spread with ease.
Toronto (28-24) have lost five of their last seven trips to Washington but the Raptors will be confident of getting a win over the Wizards (25-27) who won just once in five games going into the break.
Both sides hold genuine hopes of reaching the postseason for the first time since 2007-08 but it is the visitors who will boost their chances here.
The Canadians have won three in a row against the Wizards, including the last two, and with the most recent of those wins coming by a 13-point margin the hosts will have their work cut out to trouble Dwane Casey’s men here.
San Antonio (38-15) sit second in the Western Conference standings despite suffering a raft of injuries in recent weeks.
Recent absentees Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter and Manu Ginobili are all in contention for a return against Los Angeles (27-18) but it will come too soon against a Clippers side in solid form.
The Spurs inflicted a season-worst defeat on the Californians last month but have gone 7-7 in 14 games since with key players missing.
This highlights how Gregg Popovich’s side can be got at without their top stars firing on all cylinders and with the hosts 10-1 from 11 at the Staples Center, expect the Clippers to get revenge for that earlier defeat here.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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