The Indiana Pacers did more than just crush the dreams of Knicks fans last year. They also came within a whisker of winning a championship, losing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
That feels like forever ago. Not only is Tyrese Haliburton likely out for the season, but other injuries have also occurred. Indiana has the league’s worst record at 1-13 overall and just 5-9 against the spread (ATS), which is surprising because Rick Carlisle is widely considered an elite coach.
The Pacers host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday as one-point favorites with a total of 237.
Eventually, Indiana will string some wins together, especially with Bennedict Mathurin recently returning from injury, but I don’t think it starts against Charlotte. The Hornets are 4-10, but injuries to stars LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have disrupted a season that started with promise.
However, lottery pick Kon Knueppel has delivered right out of the gate. The rookie out of Duke is averaging 17.6 ppg on 46.5 percent shooting and has six rebounds. He has fitted it in perfectly alongside the ball-dominant Ball.
Ball recently returned, so I’m confident this version of Charlotte, still without Miller, is better than the Pacers with Mathurin and TJ McConnell returning from injury. They will certainly help, but there is only so much they can do for an offense that ranks last in efficiency.
Bet on the NBA?
Both teams struggle defensively and rank in the bottom ten in efficiency, but I think the Hornets with Ball, Knueppel and Miles Bridges will have a much easier time generating points.
I have an ATS record of 77-63-2 in this post sports section, ahead of a Tuesday night play. My next pick is the Hornets -1 at the Pacers (-110, BetMGM Sportsbook) on Wednesday.
The Piece: Hornets -1 (-110, BetMGM Sportsbook)
Why trust New York Post betting
Doug Kezirian is a contributor to the New York Post and has more than twenty years of experience in the gambling industry, including eleven years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He is also the rare personality who has documented success: a 14th-place finish in the 2023 Circa Million and the Las Vegas SuperContest ($37,000), two top-10 finishes in the 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58,000) and also made headlines with a $297,000 win at the 2021 NFL Draft.
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