Toronto Raptors (37-14) vs. Indiana Pacers (31-20)
Date/Time: Friday, February 7, 2020 8:00 PM ESPN
In an ESPN game on Friday night in the second game of a home-and-home series the slumping Indiana Pacers host the surging Toronto Raptors.
These teams faced each other in their last game in Toronto where the Raptors beat the Pacers 119-118.
On the season Toronto is 29-22 ATS with an O/U record of 27-23 and Indiana is 28-22-1 ATS with an O/U record of 27-23.
The Raptors have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, and they are in the midst of a 12-game winning streak, which is a franchise record. On the season the team in balanced and while they have an offense that is averaging 112.7 ppg they have scored 119 and 129 points, respectively, in their last two games.
The Pacers have lost three in a row and four of their last five games. They are tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the fifth spot in the East. Indiana only ranks 20th in the league in ppg but is led by a defense that ranks eighth in the league only giving up an average of 107.1 ppg.
These teams have split the two games facing each other this season with the home team winning each time. The Pacers have covered the spread in both games against the Raptors this season.
Big Comeback
In the 119-118 Raptors home win over the Pacers in their last game, Toronto came back from 19 points down to get their 12th win in a row. Both teams shot a similar FG% and while the Pacers shot much better from 3-pt range (48.7% to 37.5%) they committed 19 turnovers and only forced 10.
In the win over the Pacers Kyle Lowry led the Raptors with 32 points, Serge Ibaka had 30 points, and while Pascal Siakam had 25 points he was only 7/18 from the floor. On the season Siakam (23.7 ppg) leads Toronto in scoring and he has been up and down as of late. Lowry (19.7 ppg) is the second leading scorer and before going for 32 points in the last game he had only totaled 21 points in his previous two games.
Ibaka is averaging 15.8 ppg and in his last five games has upped his game averaging 23.4 ppg.
Pacers Could Use a Win
Indiana could use a win to avoid their first four-game losing streak of the season.
Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers in the loss to the Raptors with 24 points and Justin Holliday came off the bench to more than double his season average (8.8 ppg) going for 22 points.
Domantas Sabonis (18.3 ppg 12.6 rpg) leads the Pacers in scoring and rebounding and after totaling 51 points in two games only had 15 points in the loss to the Raptors. T.J. Warren (18.1 ppg) is the second leading scorer and he is day-to-day with a concussion and he has missed the alst two games. Brogdon is averaging 16.9 ppg and before going for 24 points in the last game he had only averaged 9.4 ppg in his previous five games.
Our Prediction
The Raptors are 4-2 ATS in their last six games and the Pacers are 1-3 ATS in their last four home games.
The Pacers had their chance in the last game facing the Raptors but gave up the big lead in the loss. However, while they are slumping the Raptors have to have their winning streak end sometime and that time is this game.
Something has got to give in this game, as the Pacers are 18-7 at home and the Raptors are 18-7 on the road. In their house, Indiana will snap out of their recent funk and play well on both sides of the floor. The Pacers will get the win and cover and snap the Raptors 12-game win streak.