NBA Odds: Take rested Indiana Pacers to cover against traveling Bucks

With a five-game slate on Sunday, the NBA odds pickings are a bit thin, but taking the Indiana Pacers to cover on the road at Milwaukee looks like the play.

After a busy Friday-Saturday schedule, the NBA takes a bit of a breather with only five games on Sunday. That can make it a bit more difficult to find the right NBA odds play, but looking at the Indiana Pacers on the road as 7½-point underdogs, according to information provided by The Action Network, to the Milwaukee Bucks looking to be a sneaky good play.

The Bucks played in New York on Saturday night and even though they were able to rest their starters more than usual in a 123-102 blowout victory, the Pacers haven’t played since Friday and are on a nice hot streak lately, winning five in a row and eight of 10 straight up. Indiana also have five consecutive covers.

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That’s not to say Milwaukee hasn’t been completely bananas itself, winning nine of 10 and 24 of 26 SU and going 8-2 ATS over its last 10 games. But both of the games the Bucks have failed to cover — they were favored in all 10 games, to no one’s surprise — have been at home.

The teams met in Indianapolis on Nov. 16, with the Bucks running away with a 102-83 win as 7½-point road favorites. But the Pacers were without Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb for that game and, hey, it’s going to be tough to hang with the NBA’s best team regardless of venue when neither of your starting guards are available.

Indiana shouldn’t have the same problem getting into their sets in the halfcourt on Sunday, a factor behind what was the Pacers’ worst shooting performance of the season — just 32.0 percent overall with an effective field goal percentage of a dismal 38.0.

That’s not to say the Pacers don’t have some injury concerns. Domantas Sabonis comes in with a sore left hip and is questionable, as is Lamb, who did not play Friday due to a sore groin.

Milwaukee played the Knicks without Wesley Matthews (right thigh contusion) and Eric Bledsoe remains out with a fracture in his right fibula. Giannis Antetokounmpo played 26 minutes after being listed as questionable with a sore back, something to monitor for Sunday as well.

The Pacers were embarrassed the first time they played the Bucks and that should play a factor in at least keeping the game within reach this time around.

Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks (minus 7½)

TV: Fox Sports Indiana (Pacers), Fox Sports Wisconsin (Bucks)
Tickets: Fiserv Forum, 7 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. local)
Records: Indiana 20-9 (16-11-2 ATS, 7-6 road ATS), Milwaukee 26-4 (17-13 ATS, 9-7 home ATS)

Availability report (from NBA official injury report released at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday)
Indiana: OUT–Brian Bowen (two-way, G League), Alize Johnson (G League), Naz Mitrou-Long (right ankle sprain), Victor Oladipo (right knee rehab); QUESTIONABLE–Jeremy Lamb (sore right groin), Domantas Sabonis (sore left hip).
Milwaukee: Not required to submit report until 2 p.m. Eastern. In Saturday’s 123-102 win at New York, the Bucks did not have Dragan Bender (right ankle sprain), Eric Bledsoe (avulson fracture, right fibula), Frank Mason (two-way, G League), Wesley Matthews (right thigh contusion) or Cameron Reynolds (two-way, G League).

As for the other games on the light Sunday slate:

Dallas Mavericks at Toronto Raptors (minus 2½)

TV: Fox Sports Southwest-Dallas (Mavericks), SportsNet1/East/Ontario/West/Pacific (Raptors)
Tickets: Scotiabank Arena, 3:30 p.m. Eastern
Records: Dallas 19-9 (17-11 ATS, 11-2 road ATS), Toronto 20-8 (15-12 ATS, 9-5 home ATS)

Availability report
Dallas: OUT–Antonius Cleveland (two-way, G League), Luka Doncic (right ankle sprain), Josh Reaves (G League), Isaiah Roby (not with team); PROBABLE–Seth Curry (low back tightness), Delon Wright (right fifth finger sprain).
Toronto: OUT–Marc Gasol (left hamstring strain), Dewan Hernandez (right ankle sprain), Shamorie Ponds (two-way, G League), Norman Powell (left shoulder subluxation), Pascal Siakam (groin strain), Matt Thomas (left middle finger fracture); DOUBTFUL–Stanley Johnson (stress reaction, right groin).

Notable: Can the Dallas Mavericks slay another giant on the road? With Luka Doncic sidelined, the Mavs have won their last two road contests at Milwaukee and Philadelphia. The Toronto Raptors could be ripe for a fall with Marc Gasol and Pascal Siakam sidelined, as well as key reserve Norman Powell.

The Mavericks are 13-4 ATS over their last 17 games and have covered seven of their last 10 — including five in a row on the road. Toronto is just 3-6 ATS over its last nine games and have just three covers in its last seven at Scotiabank Arena. Dallas won the first meeting between the teams this season, getting a cover as 4½-point home favorites with a 110-102 win on Nov. 16.

Charlotte Hornets at Boston Celtics (minus 13)

TV: Fox Sports Southeast-Charlotte (Hornets), NBC Sports Boston (Celtics)
Tickets: TD Garden, 6 p.m. Eastern
Records: Charlotte 13-19 (16-15-1 ATS, 8-7-1 road ATS), Boston 19-7 (16-8-2 ATS, 8-3-1 home ATS)

Availability report
Charlotte: Not required to submit report until 1 p.m. Eastern. In Saturday’s 114-107 loss at home to the Jazz, Charlotte was without Robert Franks (two-way, G League), Caleb Martin (G League), Jalen McDaniels (G League), Kobi Simmons (two-way, G League) and PJ Washington (right fifth finger fracture).
Boston: OUT–Carsen Edwards (G League), Vincent Poirier (right pinkie fracture), Marcus Smart (left eye infection), Tremont Waters (two-way, G League), Robert Williams (left hip, bone edema); QUESTIONABLE–Gordon Hayward (left foot soreness).

Notable: The Charlotte Hornets have been on a tear against the point spreads lately, going 5-1-1 ATS over their last seven games and have covered in three of their last four road games. The Boston Celtics are 6-2 ATS over their last eight games and have five covers in their last six games at TD Garden.

However, the Hornets are just 3-13-1 ATS in their last 17 games against Boston and the Celtics rolled to a win and a cover as a seven-point road favorite in Charlotte on Nov. 7, winning 108-87. In the last three meetings between the teams, Boston is 2-1 SU and 2-1 ATS.

LA Clippers (minus 1½) at Oklahoma City Thunder

TV: Fox Sports Prime Ticket (Clippers), Fox Sports Oklahoma (Thunder), NBA TV (national)
Tickets: Chesapeake Energy Arena, 7 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. local)
Records: LA 22-9 (17-13 ATS, 7-8 road ATS), Oklahoma City 14-14 (17-11 ATS, 9-6 home ATS)

Availability report
LA: Not required to submit report until 2 p.m. Eastern. In their 134-109 win at San Antonio Saturday night, the Clippers did not have Amir Coffey (two-way, G League), JaMychal Green (tailbone contusion), Terance Mann (G League) and Johnathan Motley (two-way, G League). Additionally, Kawhi Leonard is likely to be out Sunday after playing Saturday night; he hasn’t played both ends of a back-to-back since April 2017.
Oklahoma City: OUT–Hamidou Diallo (right elbow hyperextension sprain), Luguentz Dort (two-way, G League), Kevin Hervey (two-way, G League), Justin Patton (G League), Andre Roberson (left knee injury recovery).

Notable: The LA Clippers are 6-2 ATS over their last eight games and have five covers in their last seven on the road. The Oklahoma City Thunder have won three games in a row SU to get to the .500 mark for the first time this season, but have covered only two of their last five games at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The teams met in Los Angeles on Nov. 18, with the Clippers picking up the 90-88 win and Oklahoma City getting the cover as 7½-point road dog. That’s not unusual in this series; LA is just 4-8 ATS in its last 12 against the Thunder. This one may be a game to steer clear of, however, because of the Kawhi Leonard factor in back-to-backs.

Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers (minus 3½)

TV: Altitude Sports (Nuggets), Spectrum Sports Net (Lakers), NBA TV (national)
Tickets: Staples Center, 9:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30 p.m. local)
Records: Denver 19-8 (12-13-2 ATS, 5-5-1 road ATS), Los Angeles 24-5 (16-12 ATS, 8-4 home ATS)

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Availability report
Denver: OUT–Bol Bol (left foot injury management), PJ Dozier (two-way, G League), Jarred Vanderbilt (G League); QUESTIONABLE–Paul Millsap (left knee contusion).
Los Angeles: OUT–Kostas Antetkounmpo (two-way, G League), Devontae Cacok (two-way, G League), DeMarcus Cousins (right knee rehabilitation); DOUBTFUL–LeBron James (thoracic muscle strain); PROBABLE–Anthony Davis (right ankle sprain), Kyle Kuzma (left ankle sprain).

Notable: Neither of these teams have been particularly trustworthy against the spread of late; the Denver Nuggets are 4-5-1 ATS over their last 10 and the Los Angeles Lakers are only 5-5 ATS over the same number of games. The Nuggets have won five in a row SU and have covered two of their last four on the road. The Lakers are 1-4 ATS over their last five games.

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The Lakers may be getting Kyle Kuzma back on Sunday after he’s been out the last five games with a sprained ankle, but LeBron James is listed as doubtful with a strained muscle near his rib cage. Without James, that will leave the point guard responsibilities in the hands of Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso and little-used Quinn Cook — which could be an issue for L.A.

NBA odds: Take rested Indiana Pacers to cover over traveling Milwaukee Bucks

By Phil Watson | Dec 22, 2019