- 1 Indiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers: the first of four meetings, after an 0-4 sweep last season
- 2 Indiana Pacers: 121.3 points a night, but Zubac’s ankle is a real worry
- 3 Philadelphia 76ers: Maxey at 28.7 a game, and two full days of rest
- 4 Free NBA Prediction: Indiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About visuals
Indiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers: the first of four meetings, after an 0-4 sweep last season 
Philadelphia beat Indiana four times in four tries last season, 115-105 and 113-104 at home, then 135-114 and 105-94 in Indianapolis. The Pacers finished that year 19-63, and every one of those games came without Tyrese Haliburton.
That’s the context for Wednesday 28 October, 7:00pm ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the first of four meetings between these teams this season. The others fall on 15 November, 27 November and 19 January, so whoever takes this one gets an early edge in a series that could matter for seeding in April.
Haliburton changes the picture. His first game back from the Achilles injury produced 23 points and 12 assists in a 123-120 win in New Orleans, and Indiana has scored 121.3 points per game through three outings. Philadelphia, at 3-1, has allowed 107.0.
The betting market leans slightly toward the visitors. Philadelphia is a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 237.5, and the 76ers moneyline sits at 1.79. The Indiana price ranges from 2.08 to 2.38 depending on the book, which tells us the market hasn’t settled on how much Haliburton is worth yet.
Schedule favors the 76ers. Philadelphia is off Monday and Tuesday, while Indiana plays in Milwaukee on Monday night and gets a single day before tip-off. We think that gap, combined with an injury question at center for the Pacers, decides this game more than last season’s sweep does.
Indiana Pacers: 121.3 points a night, but Zubac’s ankle is a real worry 
Pascal Siakam is averaging 24.7 points. He scored 30 in the opener in New Orleans, 23 in the home loss to Dallas and 21 in Sunday’s 136-109 win in Brooklyn, and he’s been the most reliable scorer on the roster.
The Brooklyn game showed the ceiling. Indiana shot 58% from the field and went 21 of 43 from three, Haliburton finished with 24 points and 10 assists, and Obi Toppin added 16. Toppin is averaging 16.3 points and Andrew Nembhard 16.0, so the scoring isn’t concentrated on two players.
The floor showed up in between. Indiana committed 21 turnovers in the 121-105 home loss to Dallas, a game in which Haliburton managed seven assists and the offense never found a rhythm against a Mavericks team that was missing pieces of its own.
Ivica Zubac sprained his left ankle in Brooklyn on Sunday, and his status for Wednesday is unclear. He’s averaging 9.0 points and 9.0 rebounds, and in the opener he had 16 and 14. Without him, Indiana has little size to throw at Joel Embiid. T.J. McConnell (hamstring), Ben Sheppard (torn meniscus) and Johnny Furphy (ACL) are all out as well.
Aaron Nesmith is back from a hamstring problem, which helps on the perimeter. The bench is still thin, and a team playing its second game in three nights with seven or eight healthy rotation players is exposed in the fourth quarter.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
Philadelphia 76ers: Maxey at 28.7 a game, and two full days of rest 
Tyrese Maxey has scored 28, 26 and 29 in the games we have box scores for, and he’s averaging 28.7. He opened the season with 28 at Madison Square Garden in a 106-100 win over the defending champions, and he’s been the constant in a roster still sorting out roles.
That roster now includes Jaylen Brown, acquired from Boston, and LeBron James. Brown had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his debut and 27 against Milwaukee. James is averaging 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists, but he sat the Milwaukee game for lower-back management, and Philadelphia is likely to keep managing his minutes.
Embiid is the swing piece. He posted 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the 127-116 win over the Bucks, then sat Sunday’s game against Detroit for workload management. If he plays Wednesday, he does so against a Pacers frontcourt that may be missing Zubac.
Sunday’s 106-93 loss to Detroit is the warning sign. Philadelphia shot 7 of 27 from three, Brown went 5 of 20 from the field, and Maxey’s 29 points weren’t enough. VJ Edgecombe was a late scratch with an abdominal contusion and is listed day-to-day.
The 76ers also came back from 29 points down to beat Cleveland 114-106 last Thursday. A team that wins that game and loses a home game to Detroit three nights later is still inconsistent, but the comeback says the late-game execution is there when the stars are on the floor together.
Probable lineup Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac (ankle, questionable)
Probable lineup Philadelphia 76ers: Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe (day-to-day), Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid
Free NBA Prediction: Indiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers
Our prediction: Philadelphia 76ers to win (moneyline 1.79)
We’re taking Philadelphia on the moneyline. The 76ers have two days of rest against a team that plays in Milwaukee 48 hours earlier, and the Pacers may be without their starting center against Embiid. Last season’s four straight wins in this matchup aren’t the reason, since Haliburton played none of them, but they show Philadelphia’s size has caused Indiana problems before.
The case for Indiana is its offense. A team that just shot 58% in Brooklyn can beat anyone on a given night, and Philadelphia’s 7-of-27 performance from three against Detroit shows the 76ers can go cold. If Zubac is cleared and Embiid sits again, we’d look at this game differently.
As it stands, Maxey’s consistency, Brown’s scoring and a rest advantage make the 76ers the better side at 1.79. We’d avoid the 1.5-point spread and keep it simple with the outright win.
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
_________
About our free predictions
- What we publish on MathOdds are analyses, nothing more. We share a view, a reading of the moment, but never a guarantee. Sport remains what it is: unpredictable. A red card, an injury, a last-minute goal, and the script changes completely.
- Let’s be clear: there is no such thing as a risk-free bet. Even when it looks “obvious”, nothing ever is. And yes, that means you can lose. It’s even inevitable at some point.
- The smartest approach is to stay reasonable. Bet small, set a budget and stick to it. Never use money you need to live on. And above all: don’t chase your losses: that rarely ends well.
- A bet should remain a game, not a job or a source of income. If it starts taking up too much space in your daily life, causes stress or frustration, take a break. And if needed, talk to a support organisation: that’s what they’re there for.
- Ultimately, responsibility lies with you. Reading our content means accepting that risk exists and will never disappear, no matter how good the analysis.
- Essential reminder: gambling is prohibited for minors and must comply with the laws of your country. Need help? Visit begambleaware.org.
No commitment from us
Our predictions carry no contractual value. They have no legal standing. In short: you cannot rely on them to claim anything if a bet doesn’t come through.
Information changes
A prediction is always based on what we know at the time of writing. But between publication and kick-off, a lineup can change, a player picks up an injury, the weather turns, and the analysis can quickly be outdated. We cannot be held responsible for that.
Your responsibility
Before placing a bet, simply check that gambling is legal in your country. If it isn’t, that’s your responsibility, not ours.
Responsible gambling
We can’t say it enough: gamble responsibly. If you’re struggling to stay in control, don’t wait to seek help.
Legal age
MathOdds content is intended for adults only. By browsing here, you confirm you meet the legal age requirement for gambling in your jurisdiction.
About visuals
The images and logos of Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers on MathOdds are used solely to illustrate our articles. They do not imply any official affiliation with a federation or sports organisation, and we claim no rights over them. Those rights belong to their original owners. If any visual raises a concern, contact us and it will be removed without delay.
Leave a Reply