Pelicans at Pacers: Pacers 4-point favorites; model projects Under

Cbssports reports the New Orleans Pelicans will try to sweep the two-game season series against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday, January 16, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. ET.

New Orleans (10-33), fifth in the Southwest Division, is coming off a 116-113 win over Brooklyn on Wednesday and is 3-15 on the road this season. Indiana (9-32), fifth in the Central Division, dropped a 115-101 decision to Toronto the same night and is 7-16 at home. Herbert Jones (ankle) and Jose Alvarado (oblique) are out for New Orleans, while Bennedict Mathurin (thumb) and Isaiah Jackson (concussion) are out for Indiana.

DraftKings lists Indiana as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 241.5 and a money line of -174 for the Pacers (New Orleans +145). The SportsLine Projection Model simulated the matchup 10,000 times, projects a 239-point combined total and goes Under 241.5 in 55% of simulations, while also producing an against-the-spread pick that hits well over 60% of the time. The model has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons and enters Week 13 of the 2025-26 NBA season on a 34-15 roll on top-rated spread picks dating back to last season.

The model has revealed its specific picks and betting advice at SportsLine; the game will decide whether New Orleans completes the season-series sweep.

Key Topics

Sports, New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Herbert Jones, Jose Alvarado