Lebron Moves Closer To All-Time Scoring Record | Lakers vs Pacers | OSB
Los Angeles Lakers at Indiana Pacers
By Sam Batz
The Los Angeles Lakers travel to Indianapolis on Thursday, Feb. 2nd for a meeting with the Indiana Pacers in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Lakers and the Pacers have both struggled with consistency this season and are on the outside looking in on a spot in the Playoffs. However, LA and Indiana are two evenly matched teams and their final meeting of the regular season should be a great contest.
The Lakers are currently the 13th seed in the West with a 24-28 record, winning 46.2% of their games. They are one of five teams in the West with a record below .500, a statistic they are certainly not proud of. LA is 5-5 in their last 10 games, but are coming off a huge overtime victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. The Lakers won 129-123 thanks to, and this should surprise no one, Lebron James. James recorded his first triple-double of the season, posting 28 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds, leading his team to victory. Lebron is playing out of his mind for a guy that just turned 38-years old, averaging 30.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. He is now just 88 points away, with 38,299 points, from breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previously untouchable scoring record of 38,387. The Pacers can try to stop The King, but like many before them, will likely fall.
The Indiana Pacers have the same record as the Lakers at 24-28. However, in the East they are the 10th seed. As of right now, they are looking at a play-in game for a shot to make the postseason, but have struggled mightily without their best player, Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers are 1-9 in their last 10 games and have lost three-consecutive matchups. In their most recent game, they lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 100-112, with Bennedict Mathurin leading the team with 27 points, 3 assists, and 8 rebounds. However, no other Pacer managed to score more than 20 points, and their shaky defense allowed Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant to score 28 and 27 respectively. Indiana is reeling and now faces Lebron James and the LA Lakers in a must-win game in order to remain a top-10 team in the East.
Lakers vs. Pacers Stat Comparison
Los Angeles Lakers (24-28)
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Indiana Pacers (24-28)
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Lakers vs. Pacers Odds
Betting odds courtesy of PointsBet:
Team |
Spread |
Total |
Moneyline |
Los Angeles Lakers |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Indiana Pacers |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
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Lakers vs. Pacers Bettings Trends
Los Angeles Lakers
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Indiana Pacers
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Prediction
I would take the Lakers in this matchup. Indiana is not the same without Tyrese Haliburton, who remains questionable for Thursday’s matchup with LA. Conversely, Patrick Beverley, Lebron James, and Anthony Davis are all listed as Day-to-Day for the Lakers, but are all expected to play. Thursday’s game will be the fourth of a five game road trip for LA, and while they do not travel particularly well, they face a Pacers team who have won just 33.3% of their games against Western Conference sides. The Lakers can take advantage of the Pacers ineptitude in non-conference games, and secure their second-straight road win.
The Pacers are hoping to pull-out of the skid they are currently in, but without Haliburton leading the offense, Indiana is averaging just 113.3 points through their last 10 games. Additionally, the Pacers defense has been atrocious, giving up 123.6 opponent points per game on their way to a 1-9 record in the last 10 contests. The Lakers on the other hand, put up an average of 118.8 points in their last 10 games. However, while LA’s offense has been better compared to Indiana’s, their defense has left something to be desired, giving up 120.0 opponents points over their last 10 games. Meaning, this will be a high scoring contest, but the Laker will prevail because of their superior offensive ability.
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers Moneyline and the Over.
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