NBA Picks: Indiana Pacers vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Indiana Pacers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Monday, 12/2/13, 10:00 PM EST, TV: CSNW
Opening Point Spread: Indiana -1.5
Current Betting Line: Indiana -2
Opening Total: 188
Current Total: 192
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Portland Trail Blazers are 6-0 SUATS as underdogs this season

Indiana is off to its best start in franchise history, as it improve to 16-1 on the year after picking up a 105-100 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers as 1.5-point road favorites Sunday, while going OVER the betting total for the first time in four contests. The Pacers entered that affair with all five starters averaging double figures, with forward Paul George leading the charge at 23.6 points per game. Indiana is 9-3 SUATS as road favorites of three or fewer points the last two-plus seasons, with the UNDER going 7-5 in that situation.

The Pacers have one of the best defenses in the NBA once again, as they’ve limited teams to league lows of 86.5 points per game and 39 percent shooting, which is important to consider when making your pro basketball picks Monday night. Indiana came into Sunday’s game outscoring opponents by 106 total points in the third quarter, but tonight’s opponent holds an edge over foes when playing at home in that situation.

Portland returns home after splitting a two-game road trip, which ended with a 114-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers as 3.5-point favorites last night, while going OVER the betting total for the fourth time in five affairs. The Trail Blazers have won their last four home games against the Pacers, which can’t be ignored when looking over the NBA betting lines. Point guard Damian Lillard figures to have a huge game, considering his 58.1 percent shooting percentage in two career matchups with the Pacers is his highest versus any opponent. Portland is 6-0 SUATS as an underdog this season, with the OVER going 5-1 in those six opportunities.

The Trail Blazers will play 19 back-to-backs during the 2013-14 campaign, as they look to improve upon their 9-0 record in that situation thus far. Lillard’s 20 3-pointers through the team’s first five games of the season were the most in franchise history in that time, while he ranks first on the team in assists and second in scoring.