Are Clippers Still Contenders? Pacers to Test Clips in LA
Pacers vs Clippers Betting, Odds and More
Pacers vs Clippers betting lines opened at Pacers +6, total set at 233. Let’s take a look at some NBA stats and matchup analysis to see if we can make some NBA predictions.
After an incredible mid-season run after the Clippers traded for James Harden, they have fallen back down to earth. They are only 7-8 in their last fifteen games. Luckily for the Clips, their early season success has them currently sitting as the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff picture, three losses up from Play-In Tournament seeding. Their current NBA championship odds are +550 to win it all.
The Pacers, who are 1-1 on their California road trip so far, will try to continue their recent road success against the struggling Clippers. The Pacers are hoping the continued gelling of Pascal Siakam with their team and Tyrese Haliburton breaking out of his shooting struggles will be enough to surprise the Clippers at home on the back end of a back-to-back for each team.
Let’s dive into some more Pacers vs Clippers betting.
Pacers vs Clippers 
Records: Indiana Pacers (40-34) at Los Angeles Clippers (44-27)
Location: Crypton.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Day/Time: Streaming: NBA League Pass, Bally Sports SoCal, Bally Sports Indiana
Can Clips Flip the Switch?
The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 121-107 on Sunday. James Harden, in his first game against his former team, struggled shooting but had 14 assists. The Clippers blew an early deficit and tied the game in the third quarter, but the 76ers outscored them in the fourth to secure the win. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George paced the Clippers with 20 and 18 points respectively. The loss extends the Clippers struggles as they haven’t beaten a winning team in three weeks. Coach Tyronn Lue emphasized the need for better play moving forward.
Ty Lue is fed up with his team: “They understand what the f*ck they are supposed to be doing. We just got to wake the hell up.”
The Clippers are 1-8 against winning teams since the all-star break. #Clippers pic.twitter.com/MQE42O3rlV
— AR7 (@AR7_NFL) March 24, 2024
The Clippers must think they can flip the switch. After going 11-2 in December and 12-3 January, the league was convinced the Clippers were proper Championship contenders who could give the favored Denver Nuggets a run for their money in the Western Conference.
Since then, the Clippers have gone 13-13 through February and March, only winning one game against a playoff-bound opponent in March. As a veteran team, it isn’t hard to imagine that the Clippers have figured out they have what it takes to win, and are now laying low, waiting for the playoffs where their aging superstars can enter (hopefully) healthy and flip the switch. The Sixers are scrappy and surely won’t give the old Clipper vets an easy game on Monday.
Pacers Defense Picking Up
The Pacers have started to build a defensive identity. Before the All-Star break, the Pacers were the fifth-worst defense in the league. Since then, they have become a top-ten defense and are sixth in net rating over their last ten games. Switching out the defensively challenged Buddy Hield for Pascal Siakam during the trade deadline is surely the main cause of their turnaround.
Siakam & LeBron trade buckets late in LA 🍿 pic.twitter.com/BVPBYbeBGW
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 25, 2024
The Indiana Pacers fell to the Los Angeles Lakers 150-145 despite scoring at an unbelievable clip Sunday. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam led the team with 36 points, while Myles Turner chipped in with 20 points and TJ McConnell added 17. Indiana’s bench even got into the scoring act, with eight players reaching double-digit points. Tyrese Haliburton continued his shooting woes only scoring twelve points on 38.5% shooting. Although the rest of the team shot well, Indiana’s porous defense allowed the Lakers to score a season-high 150 points.
Who Can Handle the Back-to-Back?
Pacers vs Clippers betting lines opened at Pacers +6, total set at 233. Both of these NBA teams are coming off losses Sunday night and will hope to use the second half of their back-to-backs to redeem themselves.
Although the Pacers are a significantly younger team, they struggle more in back-to-back situations this season than the Clippers. The Pacers are 2-10 playing games without rest this season while the Clippers are 6-6. That being said, Indiana has been playing much better than the Clippers have lately.
Indiana is 20-16-1 against the spread on the road and the Clippers are 16-18 ATS at home. This one may be hard to predict, but the data may suggest that a Clippers win and Indiana cover is a likely outcome.
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