Indiana Pacers vs Los Angeles Lakers: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

It looks like Luka Doncic’s Los Angeles Lakers debut will be delayed another couple of days. The five-time All-Star recently arrived in L.A. after a trade with the Dallas Mavericks. He’s been out since Christmas Day with a calf injury. 

The Lakers are already on a great run without him. Los Angeles has won four straight and eight of their last nine as LeBron James continues to drink from the fountain of youth. The ageless wonder had 42 points, 17 rebounds, and eight assists to lead Los Angeles past the Golden State Warriors Thursday, 120-112. 

With Anthony Davis traded to the Mavs, James now leads the team in scoring with 24.5 points per contest, to go with nine assists and 7.8 rebounds. Austin Reaves is adding 18.5 points and 6.1 assists per game and Rui Hachimura is contributing 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds. Mark Williams, a center averaging 15.6 points and 9.6 rebounds for the Charlotte Hornets this season, also just arrived by trade.

However, following James’ epic performance Thursday night, he is dealing with severe ankle soreness and his status for today’s contest has been downgraded to doubtful. The Lakers host the Indiana Pacers at 4 pm ET on ESPN at Crypto.com Arena. Indiana is concluding a four-game road trip and has gone 2-1 so far. The Pacers have won seven of their last eight road contests, and five of their last six games overall. 

Pascal Siakam, who leads the team with 20.7 points and 7.4 rebounds, led six Pacers in double figures with 33 points and added11 rebounds in Indiana’s 119-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday night. Benedict Mathurin tallied 25 points and Tyrese Haliburton chipped in with 14 points and eight assists. 

The Pacers are 29-21 overall and 15-13 away from home, and the team sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers are 30-19 overall, 17-6 at home, and currently reside in fifth place in the Western Conference.

Read Below to see our experts’ predictions for this afternoon’s matchup.

Indiana Pacers vs Los Angeles Lakers betting picks and predictions 

Indiana Pacers -4 (-115)

Both teams are clicking right now, and the Lakers are at home, but without Doncic, and now quite possibly without James, the Lakers would be extremely short handed against the Pacers. James is averaging more than 31 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.6 rebounds during this recent five-game stretch. 

In the win over the Warriors, James broke his own record of being the oldest player in league history to post a 30-point, 15-rebound game. The Lakers’ run to the postseason, and the team’s new acquisitions appear to have given him an extra boost, as if he needed one. This injury would be a devastating blow to the Lakers’ hopes today.

Los Angeles has won five straight games at home and are 4-1 against the spread in their last five contests overall. Indiana is no slouch, however. The Pacers are primed for their own postseason run and have gone 11-5 ATS in their last 16 contests. Siakam has been a beast, averaging 27 points in the team’s last five wins. 

With James anticipated out, look for Indiana to cover the four-point spread as favorites.

Pascal Siakam Over 21.5 points (-115)

Siakam has scored more than 21.5 points in four of Indiana’s last six games, including the 33-point outburst Thursday night against the Clippers. He also recently had 37 points in a 133-119 victory over the Detroit Pistons. With James possibly being out, that will give Siakam even more real estate inside to dominate. Look for Siakam to score more than 21.5 points against the Lakers today. 

Total Over 231.5 (-115)

Both teams are surpassing their season averages over their past 10 respective contests. Indiana is averaging over 117 points in their recent games, and the Lakers are averaging nearly that much over the same time frame, going for 116.8 per during that stretch. 

In recent contests, both teams are playing to the over at a better clip. Indiana has gone over the total in 29 of its 50 games this season, and that includes five of its last seven. The Lakers have played to the over only 24 times in 49 games, but have done so in four of their last five. 

Even with James out, both teams will be amped up for the marquee matinee. Look for the Pacers and Lakers to total more than 231.5 points.

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Indiana Pacers vs Los Angeles Lakers odds

Indiana Pacers	-170
Los Angeles Lakers	+145
Spread	Indiana Pacers -4
Total Points	O/U 231.5

Indiana Pacers vs Los Angeles Lakers player props

Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers)	O/U 21.5
Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)	O/U 18.5
Benedict Maturin (Indiana Pacers)	O/U 14.5
Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers)	O/U 26.5
Rui Hachimura (Los Angeles Lakers)	O/U 18.5
Mark Williams (Los Angeles Lakers)	O/U 17.5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.