Free NBA Picks Today: Philadelphia 76ers vs Indiana Pacers 1/4/23

The Philadelphia 76ers (22-14, 15-5 Home), one of the league’s top scoring defenses, welcome the Indiana Pacers (21-17, 8-10 Away) on Wednesday. Indiana topped the Toronto Raptors 122-114 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday, their fourth win in a row.

Bennedict Mathurin was the scoring leader with 21 points. Buddy Hield was another key contributor with 19 points. The Pacers are sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia won their 10th in a row at home on Monday at Wells Fargo Center, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 120-111. Joel Embiid had 42 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists to lead the team. The 76ers are the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. It’s the last meeting of the season between the teams.

Philadelphia will be aiming for a season sweep against Indiana after coming out on top in the only earlier matchup 120-106 at Wells Fargo Center in October 2022, their third straight head-to-head victory. James Harden led the 76ers with 29 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton had 19 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds in the losing effort.

Haliburton and Hield, averaging 20.7 and 17.9 points per game, respectively, have led the Pacers in scoring this season. Haliburton also has dished 10.1 assists per game, most in the league. Meanwhile, Myles Turner is grabbing 7.9 rebounds per game.

Embiid’s 33.5 points per game have powered the Sixers on offense. He has the second-best scoring average in the NBA. Embiid has also averaged 9.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. The 76ers are one of the stingiest scoring defenses in the league, ranking fourth with 108.3 points per game allowed.

The 76ers have found success in the last 10 meetings between the teams at Wells Fargo Center, winning seven.Indiana is 7-3 in the last 10 games with an average margin of +1.8 (118.1-116.3). Philadelphia has an 8-2 record over the last 10, scoring 115.8 points per game on average while allowing 107.9 (+7.9 margin).

PACERS HOT/COLD

(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Jalen Smith: 12.0 | 17.3 | -5.3
Points per game:
Jalen Smith: 6.8 | 10.0 | -3.2
Rebounds per game:
Jalen Smith: 4.6 | 6.3 | -1.7

76ERS HOT/COLD

(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Tyrese Maxey: 13.0 | 28.6 | -15.6
Points per game:
Tyrese Maxey: 10.5 | 21.4 | -10.9
Rebounds per game:
James Harden: 3.5 | 6.0 | -2.5