Indiana Pacers @ Memphis Grizzlies - December 1, 2024

As the Indiana Pacers prepare to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum, this matchup offers a fascinating clash of styles and current form. The Grizzlies enter this game as -6 point favorites, but given recent trends, we might see an upset brewing.

Memphis has been on a roll lately, winning their last five games and boasting a solid record of 13-7 overall. Their offense is humming along nicely, averaging approximately 121.6 points per game with an impressive shooting percentage of 49.3%. They also excel from three-point range at 36.1% and maintain a decent free throw percentage of 77.7%. With around 30 assists per game, it’s clear that they share the ball well and create opportunities for each other.

On the defensive side, however, Memphis does have some vulnerabilities despite their strong record. They allow opponents to grab about 47.7 total rebounds per game while forcing only 8.2 steals and committing over 20 fouls on average. This could be critical against an Indiana team that has shown resilience in scoring.

The Pacers come into this contest with a less favorable record of 9-11 but are no slouches offensively themselves; they average around 114.8 points per game with a field goal percentage just shy of Memphis at approximately 48.6%. Their three-point shooting is slightly better than Memphis’s at about 36.9%, which could be key if they can find open looks from beyond the arc.

Defensively, Indiana struggles somewhat compared to their offensive output—averaging around 40.6 total rebounds and allowing more turnovers (14.7) than they force (8.5). However, they’ve shown some promise by grabbing nearly as many steals as Memphis (8.5), indicating they can disrupt opposing offenses when needed.

Considering both teams’ recent performances—particularly Indiana’s ability to score in bunches—they’ve gone OVER in seven of their last nine games while struggling against the spread (0-4-1 ATS in their last five). Meanwhile, Memphis has been covering spreads effectively (10-2 ATS in their last twelve), but there’s something about this matchup that suggests potential for an upset.

Given these factors—especially Indiana’s capacity for high-scoring games—the prediction leans towards the Pacers pulling off a surprise victory tonight while also covering the spread due to their underdog status combined with recent trends suggesting higher totals being reached during gameplay.

Ultimately, expect fireworks: I anticipate both teams will exceed expectations offensively leading us to believe that tonight’s total will also go OVER as both squads look to capitalize on each other’s defensive weaknesses while pushing tempo throughout the night!