Pacers vs. Hornets Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Jan. 8

The Hornets are 7-0 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back this season.

The Charlotte Hornets and guard Kon Knueppel are favored at home on Thursday. / David Richard-Imagn Images

Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers remain the worst team in the Eastern Conference this season, although they did cover the spread at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.

Indiana has just six wins all season, and it’s dropped its last 13 games heading into Thursday’s battle with the Charlotte Hornets and rookie sensation Kon Knueppel.

The Hornets are coming off a one-point loss at home against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, but they are an NBA-best 7-0 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back this season.

Will that trend continue as a home favorite on Thursday?

Indiana has been awful on the road (1-16), and it remains without Isaiah Jackson, Benedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin in this matchup.

Let’s dive into the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this matchup between two likely lottery-bound teams in the East. 

Pacers vs. Hornets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Pacers +3.5 (-108)
• Hornets -3.5 (-112)

Moneyline

• Pacers: +140
• Hornets: -166

Total

• 230.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Pacers vs. Hornets How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, Jan. 8
• Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Spectrum Center
• How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
• Pacers record: 6-31
• Hornets record: 13-23*

Pacers vs. Hornets Injury Reports

Pacers Injury Report

• Bennedict Mathurin – out
• Isaiah Jackson – out
• Tyrese Haliburton – out
• Obi Toppin – out
• Taelon Peter – doubtful

Hornets Injury Report

• Not submitted yet

Pacers vs. Hornets Best NBA Prop Bets

Hornets Best NBA Prop Bet

• LaMelo Ball OVER 6.5 Assists (-144)

In today’s best NBA prop bets for SI Betting, I broke down why Ball may be undervalued against Indiana: 

There’s a chance that LaMelo Ball doesn’t play on the second night of a back-to-back, but I like this assists prop for the former All-Star if he does.

This season, Ball is averaging 7.9 assists on 12.5 potential assists per game, giving him a terrific floor to pick up at least seven dimes against the Pacers. Indiana does rank seventh in the league in opponent assists per game, but it’s also just 24th in defensive rating.

Ball has at least seven assists in three of his four games this month and 20 of his 27 appearances so far this season.

If he’s able to play, the Hornets guard is worth a look in this market. 

Pacers vs. Hornets Prediction and Pick

There’s a chance the Hornets sit some players on the second night of a back-to-back, but I still think they’re worth a bet to at least win this game.

As I mentioned earlier, Charlotte has covered on the second night of a back-to-back every time this season (7-0), and it’s been a far better team than the Pacers as of late.

Indiana has lost 13 games in a row and is now 1-16 overall on the road, making it tough to bet on it to pull off an upset. On top of that, the Pacers are 29th in the net rating over their last 10 games (-11.5).

Charlotte, despite going 4-6 in its last 10, has a net rating of +2.4, which is good for 12th in the NBA. 

If Ball, Brandon Miller and Knueppel all play, the Hornets should have enough offensive talent to beat this struggling Pacers squad. 

Pick: Hornets Moneyline (-166 at DraftKings)

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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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