Pacers vs. 76ers Prediction and Odds for December 13: Would-Be Contenders Fighting Unexpected Slumps

The Indiana Pacers (10-15) will visit the Philadelphia 76ers (7-15) for a battle between two of last year’s Eastern Conference playoff participants.

While the 2023-24 season was relatively to overwhelmingly successful for the two teams, the 24-25 campaign has been anything but. The Pacers are just ninth in the Eastern Conference standings after they made a run to the conference finals, while the Sixers are 12th and only had Joel Embiid for five of their 22 games.

The Pacers also lost five of their last six games, while the Sixers are hoping they turned their season around after winning four of their last five.

Here, we will review the odds and share our favorite betting picks for the Pacers vs. 76ers showdown.

Pacers vs. 76ers Betting Odds for Friday, December 13

The Pacers are 8-16-1 (33.3 percent) against the spread, the second-worst mark in the NBA. They’re also 4-10 (28.6 percent) ATS on the road and 4-5 (44.4 percent) ATS as an underdog.

The Sixers are 9-13 (40.9 percent) ATS, 4-7 (36.4 percent) ATS at home, and 4-5 (44.4 percent) ATS as a favorite.

Betting odds for the Pacers vs. 76ers game are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Head over to BetMGM to place your bets and claim up to $1,500 in bonus bets* with our promo code WSNSPORTS.

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Pacers vs. 76ers Prediction

Indiana Pacers Preview

Let's start at the top. It’s hard for a team to finish as a top-four team in the NBA, which the Pacers were a year ago, if their best player isn’t his usual self.

Tyrese Haliburton’s season averages are down across the board from last year, including points (20.1 to 17.5), assists (10.9 to 8.4), rebounds (3.9 to 3.4), field goal percentage (47.7 to 42), and three-point percentage (36.4 to 33.6). That’s despite him playing 35.4 minutes per night as opposed to last year’s 32.2.

That isn’t to say that Indy’s struggles are solely on the shoulders of the Olympic Gold Medalist. The team’s offensive rating plummeted to 111.7 (19th), and their defensive rating is at 116 (24th).

One possible explanation for the team’s decline on offensive production is their lack of structure. Rick Carlisle said on numerous occasions last year that his team was based on the philosophy of pace and movement and actually did not run many plays. 

Their pace only slightly decreased this year, which suggests that teams may have used the offseason to become more familiar with Indy’s transition tricks and now know what sort of movement they can expect to see. 

The injury-induced absence of Aaron Nesmith left the Pacers without their best perimeter defender, which also contributed to their defensive struggles. Still, they hoped that trading for Pascal Siakam last year would’ve resulted in them becoming a better defensive outfit than they currently are.

Indy is also 27th in rebound rate and below league-average in turnover percentage. All of that results in a team with depth and promise becoming one that, now that it lost its systemic advantage and does not have an All-NBA-level performer, is mediocre and mundane.

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Philadelphia 76ers Preview

However disappointing the Pacers’ season has been, it doesn’t measure up to what the Sixers have endured.

Injuries to Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey stymied Philly’s season at different points. A burst of production from rookie Jared McCain in the starting lineup was one of the few “happy” moments of the season for a team that entered the year ranked in the top five for NBA Finals futures odds.

Philly is 12th in defensive and 27th in offensive rating with a net rating of -5.0 (25th). They also posted the second-worst rebound rate and are 26th in true shooting percentage.

Philly’s lack of individual creators was exposed during the time spent on the sidelines by its stars. That’s part of why McCain was such a revelation playing with a group of tenured vets and journeymen.

Luckily for the 76ers, Maxey, George, and Embiid are all expected to play on Friday. 

The team also won four of its last five games, one of which came against an impressive Orlando Magic squad. The story of that game was KJ Martin providing 20 points off the bench, while George had 21 and nine assists to lead the team.

Any team with Embiid on it should be favored against most teams. However, it’s no longer clear which version of the big man is going to show up. 

The 2022-23 NBA MVP dropped 35 and 31 points in his last two games but only managed 13, 20, and 11 in the three before that. He cannot be in basketball shape with how few games he played, and also how many injury setbacks he dealt with.

Pacers vs. 76ers Betting Pick

• Pacers vs. 76ers pick: Pacers +5.5 (-110) at BetMGM

Both of these teams have been on the struggle bus. Both of their star players are having disappointing seasons, neither team has established its identity, and neither has proven that it can win a consistent chunk of games without suffering as many or more losses.

The Pacers are only 3-11 on the road this season, while the Sixers are 3-8 in their building. Philly enters in better form, though both teams will be well-rested after a few days off due to In-Season Tournament play.

The 76ers can be a great team if they get months of reps under their belt, but they don’t have that. It’s unfair to expect them to win by a large amount against anyone right now, which makes the underdog the safer pick.

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How to Watch Pacers vs. 76ers on 12/13/24

• When: Friday, Dec. 13 @ 7:00 p.m. ET

• Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

• TV: NBA League Pass

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