SI Sportsbook gives Indiana Pacers ninth-best odds to win Eastern Conference
The SI Sportsbook has published their odds for various NBA futures, including the race for the 2023-24 Eastern Conference crown.
The Indiana Pacers have the ninth best odds to win the conference according to the Sportsbook. They are listed at +12500, which is tied with the Orlando Magic for the last play-in spots in the East.
The eight teams with better odds than the Pacers, in order, are the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, and Toronto Raptors. Some teams are off the board completely.
The Pacers making the play-in tournament would be a step forward for the roster. They finished tied for 11th in the East last season, missing out on the proceedings by five wins. They added talent and will bank on internal improvement to close that gap this year.
The team has not played in a playoff game in over three years, but they hope to change that this season.
"It's somewhere I want to be... We know that's the goal," All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton said of the Pacers playoffs hopes for next season. "So just watching and seeing how the game differentiates from regular season. I need to be in there, I need to be in the playoffs. That's the goal."
Forward Jordan Nwora agreed. "I think for us, it's making the playoffs and just really taking that big step forward," he said of his team's goals.
On paper, Indiana has enough talent to catch Toronto, Chicago, and Brooklyn in the standings. All of those teams could stagnate or take a step back in the coming season given how their offseason went. Each one of the three have enough to remain ahead of the Pacers in an ideal season, though.
For the blue and gold to prove the oddsmakers right and continue playing beyond the regular season, they will need solid contributions from newcomers Obi Toppin and Bruce Brown as well as growth from their less-experienced players. Adding talent to a young team is a recipe for success, but the Pacers have to actually gel on the floor and grow to win more games.
Holding off Orlando could be another challenge for Indiana. The Magic have two terrific youngsters in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and they could become a force soon. The blue and gold won just one more game than the Magic last season.
The SI Sportsbook gives the Pacers +12500 odds to win the title as well. That's tied for the worst odds in the league. All of their futures can be seen here.
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- How Obi Toppin can help the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
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