Bucks vs. Pacers prediction, odds, line, spread, time: 2023 NBA picks, November 9 best bets from proven model
After a 14-game slate on Wednesday, the NBA will showcase only two games on Thursday. The opener of the doubleheader will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with the Milwaukee Bucks visiting the Indiana Pacers. Both teams are playing on the second night of a back-to-back. The Bucks are 5-2 this season after a win over Detroit on Wednesday, while the Pacers are 5-3 and coming off a victory over Utah.
Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET in Indianapolis. For this game, SportsLine consensus lists Milwaukee as the 3.5-point favorite, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 243 in the latest Bucks vs. Pacers odds. Before making any Pacers vs. Bucks picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 3 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a 79-42 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bucks vs. Pacers and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Pacers vs. Bucks:
- Bucks vs. Pacers spread: Bucks -3.5
- Bucks vs. Pacers over/under: 243 points
- Bucks vs. Pacers money line: Bucks -172, Pacers +144
- Milwaukee: The Bucks are 11-2-1 against the spread in the last 14 games with no rest
- Indiana: The Pacers are 7-8 against the spread in the last 15 games with no rest
- Bucks vs. Pacers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Bucks can cover
Milwaukee played quite well against Indiana last season, taking three of four meetings and both contests in Indianapolis. In those four games, the Bucks scored 127.9 points per 100 possessions and shot 55.3% from the field with 42.5% from 3-point distance. Milwaukee also averaged 29.5 assists per game against Indiana with a stellar 31.9% offensive rebound rate. Things were even better for the Bucks in Indianapolis, with a two-game sweep, and Milwaukee averaged 145.0 points per game against the Pacers in 2022-23 road games.
This season, the Bucks are scoring 1.14 points per possession and leading the NBA with 29.7 free throw attempts per game. Milwaukee generated 32 free throw attempts in a win over Detroit on Wednesday, and the Bucks had seven players score in double figures while committing a turnover on only 9% of possessions. For the season, Milwaukee is in the top five of the NBA in 3-pointers per game (14.1) and the team is shooting almost 37% from beyond the arc. See which team to pick here.
Why the Pacers can cover
Indiana's offense has been the gold standard of the league this season. The Pacers are No. 1 in the NBA in offensive efficiency, scoring 121.2 points per 100 possessions. Indiana is also No. 1 in the league in assists per game (31.1) and live-ball turnovers per game (5.8), with top-tier numbers across the board. The Pacers have seven players averaging at least 11 points per game, illustrating impressive balance, and Indiana is shooting 49.8% from the field and 38.2% from 3-point range.
Indiana also has stellar 3-point volume, including 15.3 triples per game, and the Pacers are in the top three of the league in turnovers (13.4 per game) and fast break points (20.1 per game). Indiana can also put pressure on the rim, as evidenced by 57.8 points in the paint per game, and the Pacers are also adept at creating second-chance opportunities. The Pacers are grabbing more than 30% of available offensive rebounds, ranking in the top 10 of the NBA in that category. See which team to pick here.
How to make Pacers vs. Bucks picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 239 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
