The Toronto Raptors wrap up their NBA Cup group play tonight at home against the Indiana Pacers.
The pregame narrative: Tuesday’s matchup is just like any old regular season game, as neither Toronto nor Indiana can advance to the knockout stage. My +270 ticket features an alt spread in the Raptors’ favour, as well as props on Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes.
Check out my Pacers vs. Raptors same-game parlay predictions for Dec. 3.
Pacers vs. Raptors predictions
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Parlay: Raptors +6.5 + Siakam over 29.5 points/rebounds/assists + Barnes over 7.5 rebounds (+270)
Raptors +6.5 (-215): Indiana is probably going to be a playoff team this year, but it needs to figure out how to play on the road.
The Pacers are 2-9 away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and their -9.5 road net rating is 27th among NBA teams.
Indiana is also on a six-game road ATS losing streak. That includes a 130-119 loss in Toronto on Nov. 18, when the Pacers were 3.5-point favourites.
So, yes, Toronto already has an outright win as an underdog over Indiana this year. The Raptors are 4-1 ATS against the Pacers since the start of last season and have covered this number in seven of their past nine.
SGP legs
Siakam over 29.5 PRA (-186): Though the Pacers struggled the last time they were inside Scotiabank Arena, Siakam (perhaps unsurprisingly) felt right at home.
The ex-Raptor put up 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in Toronto last month. He typically puts on a strong performance against his old squad.
In four matchups against Toronto, Siakam is averaging 22.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists (36.4 PRA). He’s cleared this total in three of those games.
Siakam’s usage isn’t as high as it was in his Raptors days, but he’s still averaging 32.2 PRA in 62 games with Indiana.
Barnes over 7.5 rebounds (-167): Based on his recent performance — and his track record against the Pacers — this is a very doable rebounding total for Barnes.
- Barnes has 10+ rebounds in four straight games.
- He’s averaging a career-high 8.7 rebounds per game this year (after 8.2 RPG last year).
- Barnes has 8+ rebounds in 5/5 games vs. Indiana since 2022-23.
Last season, Barnes had exactly 12 rebounds in all three games against the Pacers, so betting his standard rebounding line (over 8.5 at +105) is compelling, too.
Indiana plays at the NBA’s sixth-fastest pace and has the 26th-ranked rebounding rate (48.2%). There should be rebounds aplenty for Barnes.
Picks made at 9:10 a.m. on 12/03/24.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.