Pelicans vs Pacers Prediction NBA Picks 2/28/24

Indiana Pacers (33-27) vs New Orleans Pelicans (34-24)

Game Info: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 7:30 pm (Gainbridge Fieldhouse)

Betting Odds: Indiana Pacers -5.5 -- Over/Under: 243.5

The New Orleans Pelicans invade the Gainbridge Fieldhouse to battle the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. Here’s a Pelicans vs Pacers Prediction.

New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans have been on a nice run as they've won nine of their last 12 games overall and they will be eager to stay hot after blowing past the Knicks in a 115-92 road win last night. Trey Murphy led the team with 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists, Brandon Ingram added 24 points with six rebounds and five assists while Zion Williamson chipped in with 21 points, five rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Pelicans shot 50 percent from the field and 18 of 34 from the 3-point line as they struggled to gain any separation from the pesky Knicks in the first half, but they did just enough to stay in front before they finally made their move with 41 points in the fourth quarter to win big in the end.

Indiana Pacers

Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers have been in great shape as they've won six of their last nine games overall, but they will be hoping to bounce back in this spot after having their three-game win streak halted by the Raptors in a 130-122 loss on Monday. Bennedict Mathurin led the team with 34 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Pascal Siakam added 27 points with nine rebounds and six assists while Myles Turner chipped in with 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. As a team, the Pacers shot 46 percent from the field and 13 of 42 from the 3-point line as they fought hard to keep pace with the Raptors, until the fourth quarter where they leaked 40 points to fall short in the end. Tyrese Haliburton had a rough game as he scored just nine points on two of 11 shooting from the field and one of six shooting from the 3-point line.

Indiana Pacers Player Facts

• Tyrese Haliburton ranks 1st amongst qualified players for assists per game (11.6) this season.
• Myles Turner ranks 4th in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for Blocks Per Game (1.7) this season.

New Orleans Pelicans Player Facts

• Zion Williamson ranks 6th in the Western Conference amongst qualified players for FG% (57.8%) this season.
• Brandon Ingram ranks 5th amongst qualified Forwards for assists per game (5.8) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Pacers rank 1st in the league for points per game this season (123.9).
• The Pacers rank 1st in the league for assists per game this season (31.0).
• The Pelicans rank 1st in the league for opponent three-point percentage this season (34.6%).
• The Pelicans rank 2nd in the league for steals per game this season (8.4).

Pelicans vs Pacers Prediction

The Pelicans could again be without CJ McCollum, while the Pacers have already ruled out Aaron Nesmith and Doug McDermott. The Pelicans are coming into this game with plenty of winning momentum and they looked great in their big win over the Knicks last night, but it's going to be tough to hang with the up tempo Pacers who like to run at every opportunity. It's tempting to take the Pelicans with the points, but I think the line is just short enough for me to go with the Pacers to take care of business at home against a Pelicans team playing their second road game in as many nights. 

The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.