NBA picks: Pacers vs. Kings prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report for Thursday, Jan. 18
Haliburton has been ruled out, per Marc J. Spears. It’s the first night of a back-to-back set and Siakam won’t play tonight, so it might make sense to sit Haliburton here. The Kings are now 8-point favorites but the total hasn’t fallen too far at 245.5. I do now like Sacramento to cover the spread, and I’m going to go with the under on the total. This Pacers team completely changes with Haliburton out, and I’m not sure this game will be particularly close.
The Indiana Pacers (23-17) will meet the Sacramento Kings (23-17) in a cross-conference battle of two playoff hopefuls. The Pacers made a blockbuster deal for Pascal Siakam Wednesday and will look to snap a two-game losing streak, while the Kings are hoping to bounce back from a disastrous loss to the Suns which pushed their losing rut to three games.
Siakam is unlikely to play for Indiana Thursday, and is expected to make his Pacers debut Friday. Tyrese Haliburton is questionable as he attempts to make his return from a hamstring injury. Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith and Obi Toppin are also questionable. Sacramento is clean on the day-to-day injury front.
The Kings are 7.5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 248.5. Sacramento is -290 on the moneyline while Indiana is +235.
Pacers vs. Kings, 10 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Pacers +7.5
The Pacers are 23-17-1 ATS on the season while the Kings hold a 23-18 ATS mark. The line on the total suggests Haliburton is set to return from his injury, which makes this spread tough to reconcile. The Pacers are 13-10 ATS as the underdog this season, and Haliburton’s presence alone makes them dangerous. The Kings are in a bit of a rut right now and although I expect them to bounce back from the collapse against Phoenix, I think the Pacers cover tonight.
Over/Under: Over 248.5
These are two of the best offenses in the NBA. The Pacers are 24-15-2 to the over this season, while the Kings are 19-19-2 to the over. Sacramento is 13-6-1 to the over as the home team, while Indiana is just 9-7-2 to the over as the road side. Haliburton’s return should be a boost for the Pacers offensively, and the Kings won’t take their foot off the gas after their last game. I’ll take the over in this contest.
