NBA Picks: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Indiana Pacers

Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers
Wednesday, 3/14/12, 7:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Indiana -1.5
Current Betting Line: Indiana -1
Opening Total: 185
Current Total: 185
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Indiana Pacers are set to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night

Philadelphia has won three games in a row by going over the century mark offensively and will finish out a short two-game road trip Wednesday night against Indiana. The 76ers captured a 96-86 win over the Pacers as seven-point home favorites earlier this year in the first meeting. The team’s recent play can be attributed to the rise of Evan Turner, who has started every game during the win streak, averaging 22.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. Philadelphia is 9-9 ATS on the road this season.

The 76ers have tallied an even 9-9 record on the road this season, including a 6-4 mark versus Eastern Conference opponents. Philadelphia has scored 100-plus points in seven of the past nine games versus tonight’s opponent, which has been helped by getting to the line an average of 18.4 times per game in that span. Defensively, the team leads the NBA in allowing just 87.3 points per game. Philadelphia is set to close out the season playing 15 games on the road and just nine more at home.

Indiana snapped a four-game losing streak with a 92-75 win over the Portland Trail Blazers as 3.5-point home favorites last night. The Pacers are in a bit of a scoring funk despite averaging just 95.0 points per game, as they’ve failed to score 100 or more points in five consecutive games. The defense raised its level of play against the Trail Blazers in holding them to 31.3 percent shooting. “It was great just to get a win,” commented Pacers center Roy Hibbert. The Pacers are 11-5 at home this season, including a 3-0 mark versus Atlantic division opponents.

The Pacers face the second game of their first home-home back-to-back of the 2011-12 campaign. Indiana has dropped three of the last four in this Eastern Conference series, but has proven victorious in two of the last three meetings inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Getting production from the bench is key in playing on back-to-back nights, which is why last night’s 44 points from the second unit will pay dividends tonight. “Our bench was spectacular,” commented Pacers head coach Frank Vogel. The majority of the team’s starters sat during the fourth quarter when up by 23 points last night.