| MATCHUP | Indiana Pacers | New Orleans Pelicans |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 6-21 | 6-22 |
| Spread | +3.5 -102 | -3.5 -118 |
| Moneyline | +140 | -166 |
| Total | Over 233.5 (-110) | Under 233.5 (-110) |
| Where | Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA | |
| When | Saturday, December 20, 2025 | |
| Time | 07:00 PM EST | |
| TV | GCSEN | |
The Indiana Pacers travel to the Smoothie King Center to battle the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. Here’s a Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction. This article will include a Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans Pick.
Indiana Pacers Betting Preview
The Indiana Pacers have gone cold again as they’ve lost five of their last seven games overall and they will be hoping to arrest a three-game skid after falling just short to the Knicks in a 114-113 loss on Thursday. Andrew Nembhard led the team with 31 points on 12 of 19 shooting, Pascal Siakam added 26 points with six rebounds and five assists while Bennedict Mathurin chipped in with 16 points.
As a team, the Pacers shot 46 percent from the field and 11 of 34 from the 3-point line as they got off to a terrific start and exploded for 36 points in the first quarter to open up a 16-point lead. This kept them in front on the scoreboard all the way until the fourth quarter where they went cold and managed just 21 points. This allowed the Knicks to steal the game on a clutch 3-pointer from Jalen Brunson with just 5.6 seconds left on the clock.
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans look like they might be moving on from their early season struggles as they are now gunning for a season-high fourth straight victory after outlasting the Rockets in a 133-128 overtime win on Thursday. Saddiq Bey led the team with 29 points and nine rebounds on 11 of 18 shooting, Trey Murphy III added 27 points on nine of 13 shooting while Herbert Jones chipped in with 18 points and eight steals.
As a team, the Pelicans shot 51 percent from the field and 11 of 27 from the 3-point line as they got off to a slow start and looked to be in deep trouble after falling behind by 25 points. But they dominated the fourth quarter by 36-20 to send the game into overtime, where they held the Rockets to just nine points to secure the gritty win.
Why the New Orleans Pelicans will win
- The Pacers have lost 14 of their last 15 road games.
- The Pelicans have won each of their last eight games as home favorites.
- The Pacers have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine night games at Smoothie King Center.
- The Pelicans have covered the spread in seven of their last eight games as home favorites.
Why the Indiana Pacers will win
- The Pelicans have lost each of their last 11 Saturday night games.
- The Pacers have won each of their last four night games against teams that held a losing record.
- The underdogs have covered the spread in each of the Pelicans’ last four games.
- The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in six of their last seven games as favorites after winning as underdogs.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Pelicans’ last seven games at Smoothie King Center have gone OVER the total points line.
- Seven of the Pacers’ last eight road games against Western Conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Pelicans rank 30th in the league for Q3 opponent points per game this season (31.7).
- The Pelicans rank 1st for points in the paint (1606) this season.
- The Pacers rank 30th in the league for three-point percentage this season (32.9%).
- The Pacers rank 1st in the league for opponent free throw percentage this season (75.6%).
Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction
The Pacers are still missing Tyrese Haliburton, Ben Sheppard and Aaron Nesmith, while the Pelicans have ruled out Dejounte Murray once again. The Pacers have shown signs of life over the past couple weeks and they were more than competitive in a one-point defeat to the red-hot Knicks in their last outing.
However, surprisingly, it is the Pelicans who have been the hotter team as they have reeled off three straight wins after taking down the Rockets in their last game. This is a tough one to pick as you could make an argument for either side, but the Pelicans would’ve taken so much confidence from their latest win. I think they can keep it going with another win and cover at home in this one.