Rockets at Pacers, Feb. 6: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet

When the Rockets and Pacers met on Dec. 26 in Houston, the visitors overcame Alperen Sengun’s strong game with a 42-point advantage on 3-pointers. In all, Indiana’s 19 makes from 3-point range overwhelmed a cold night by the hosts (five).

Unfortunately for Houston, as a rematch looms Tuesday in Indiana, that game’s result reflects a broader trend. Since Christmas, the Rockets rank 29th (second-to-last) in the NBA in 3-point accuracy (33.6%), and they’re 8-14 over that time. In games before Christmas, Houston went 15-12 while shooting a much more respectable 36.2% clip (No. 19 overall) from 3-point range.

By contrast, the Pacers (37.7%) rank 11th in 3-point accuracy since Christmas, and they are 14-9 in that span. Making matters worse, Indiana has a deeper roster after swinging a blockbuster trade for former Toronto star Pascal Siakam in January, and Houston is short-handed without Fred VanVleet and Tari Eason.

If you’d like last-minute betting research for Tuesday’s rematch at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, you’re in luck! We have the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as all the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet.

Tuesday’s game starts at 6 p.m. Central and can be seen on the Space City Home Network and NBA League Pass.

Here’s a look at Tuesday’s lines:

• Point spread: Pacers -7.5
• Money line: Pacers -300 / Rockets +240
• Over/Under: 242.5

Rockets at Pacers injury report:

Advice and prediction

Houston struggled with Rudy Gobert’s rim protection in Sunday’s blowout loss, but Myles Turner isn’t nearly the same intimidating presence. And while the Rockets have struggled since Christmas, they’ve alternated wins and losses over their previous six games.

Predicting an outright win in Indiana is overly aggressive, but the Rockets should be due for an improved shooting performance, which makes them a tempting underdog by the large spread number. The under could also be a solid play, given Haliburton’s potential absence.

While VanVleet has been a strong player for the 2023-24 season as a whole, he has struggled in recent weeks, and more minutes for Thompson could add more unpredictability to Houston’s approach.

Prediction: Pacers 123, Rockets 117

Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.