Hornets vs. Pacers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Feb. 26

The Charlotte Hornets have picked up back-to-back wins and are making a serious push at a top-eight seed in the Eastern Conference heading into Thursday’s matchup with the tanking Indiana Pacers.

Indy was blown out by the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night – the team’s fourth loss in a row – and it’s set as a home underdog on Thursday. The Pacers have ruled Ivica Zubac and Aaron Nesmith out for this matchup, and Pascal Siakam (doubtful), Andrew Nembhard (questionable) and Obi Toppin (questionable) are on the injury report as well.

Charlotte has been one of the best teams in the NBA since the turn of the new year, going 17-9 while averaging 116.0 points per game. With LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller leading the way, the Hornets could be a playoff team in the 2025-26 season if they continue to rise in the Eastern Conference standings.

Oddsmakers have set the Hornets as 12.5-point favorites in this matchup, but can they cover that number?

Here’s a look at the betting odds, my favorite prop target and a prediction for Thursday’s NBA action.

Hornets vs. Pacers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Hornets -12.5 (-115)
Pacers +12.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Hornets: -800
Pacers: +550

Total

229.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Hornets vs. Pacers How to Watch

Date: Thursday, Feb. 26
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Hornets record: 28-31
Pacers record: 15-44

Hornets vs. Pacers Injury Reports

Hornets Injury Report

Liam McKneeley – out
Tosan Evbuomwan – out
Tidjane Salaun – out
PJ Hall – out
Antonio Reeves – out

Pacers Injury Report

Obi Toppin – questionable
Andrew Nembhard – questionable
Ivica Zubac – out
Tyrese Haliburton – out
Johnny Furphy – out
Pascal Siakam – doubtful
Aaron Nesmith – out
Quenton Jackson – questionable
Taelon Peter – questionable
Ethan Thompson – questionable

Hornets vs. Pacers Best NBA Prop Bets

Hornets Best NBA Prop Bet

Moussa Diabate OVER 9.5 Rebounds (-116)

In today’s best NBA props column for SI Betting, I shared why Hornets big man Moussa Diabate is primed for a big game:

I absolutely love Thursday’s matchup for Charlotte Hornets big man Moussa Diabate, as he takes on the Indiana Pacers.

Indy is down Ivica Zubac and likely down Pascal Siakam (doubtful) in this game, and it’s already one of the worst rebounding teams in the league.

The Pacers rank 29th in rebound percentage and 27th in opponent rebounds per game, while Diabate has been a beast on the boards for Charlotte. The 2022 second-round pick is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game overall, but that number jumps to 9.8 per game when he’s in the starting lineup.

Diabate already has a 12-rebound game against Indiana this season, and he had two games with over 10 boards this month before he was suspended for four games. I think he dominates the glass against a short-handed Indy squad on Thursday.

Hornets vs. Pacers Prediction and Pick

Indiana is 0-4 since the All-Star break, losing two games to the Washington Wizards, one to the Dallas Mavericks and a blowout loss on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Siakam (doubtful) is unlikely to suit up in this game, and the Pacers are just 1-6 when he doesn’t play, losing four of those games by double digits.

Charlotte has the best against the spread record in the NBA this season, and it’s now 6-3 against the number when favored on the road.

Over their last 10 games, the Hornets rank eighth in the league in net rating (+6.1) while the Pacers have a net rating of -7.6.

I’ll lay the points with Charlotte since Indy is down so many key rotation players tonight.

Pick: Hornets -12.5 (-115 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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