The Pacers make their final visit to Little Caesars Arena for the season to face the Pistons.
The Pacers (22-42) remain on the road on Friday night when they visit the Pistons (16-47) for the third of four games between the two teams this season.
The home team won the first two games, but considering they were both played in the first two months of the season, there s not much to take away considering the changes that have taken place since.
The Pistons are quite comparable to the Magic, relying on a young core of talent that can rise up and win on any night when they put it together. In fact, that’s just what they did o Thursday night, hanging on late to post an impressive, 108-106 win over the Raptors in Toronto.
So, the schedule advantage definitely resides with the Pacers, catching the Pacers on a tough back-to-back. It also appears, the Pistons went all in for the game in Toronto with all of their starters playing at least 30 minutes and no reserves logging more than 20 minutes. That leaves the assumption that the Pistons will lean on the reserves a bit more against the Pacers.
With that thought in mind, it makes sense that the Pacers are favored according to DraftKings. Another plus, is that Malcolm Brogdon remains healthy and ready to go coming off his monster effort in Orlando. On the iffy side of things for the Pacers, Chris Duarte remains questionable with a bad big toe.
DraftKings Odds: Pacers -3.5, O/U 229.5 (latest DraftKings odds here)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
When: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
TV: Bally Sports Indiana
Radio: 93.5 FM/107.5 FM
Projected Starting Lineups:
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Malcolm Brogdon, Oshae Brissett, Isaiah Jackson
Pistons: Cory Joseph, Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart
Injury update:
IND: Lance Stephenson – probable (sprained left ankle), Goga Bitadze – questionable (sore right foot), Chris Duarte – questionable (sore left big toe), T.J. McConnell – out (right wrist ligament surgery), Ricky Rubio – out (torn left ACL), Myles Turner – out (left foot stress reaction), T.J. Warren – out (left navicular fracture)
DET: Frank Jackson – questionable (bilateral lumbar spine spasm), Marvin Bagley III – doubtful (sprained left ankle), Saben Lee – out (G League assignment)
Please leave your thoughts and observations on the game in the comments.
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