Los Angeles Clippers Vs. Indiana Pacers Injuries & Starting Lineups (12/18/23): Is Haliburton Playing Tonight?
The red-hot, fully-loaded Los Angeles Clippers head to a much colder place when they take on the Pacers in Indiana on Monday night. See our Indiana Pacers vs. Los Angeles Clippers predictions, betting picks, current odds, starting lineups, in-depth analysis, and more below!
Los Angeles Clippers Vs. Indiana Pacers Prediction
Seven. That is how many games the Los Angeles Clippers have won consecutively after what could have only been described as a shaky start after adding James Harden to the roster. Now, it appears that this team, if they stay healthy, could be a contender once the playoffs roll around, especially after former MVP Russell Westbrook made the selfless transition to more of a bench role.
Meanwhile, the Pacers have faltered a bit since dropping the In-Season Tournament Finals game to the Los Angeles Lakers. Including that IST Finals game, Indiana has dropped four of its past five bouts to the Lakers, Bucks, Wizards, and Timberwolves. Three of those four teams are towards the top of their respective conference and are legitimate championship contenders, but the loss to Washington was head-scratching and disappointing.
So, where does that leave us with this game?
While Los Angeles has been phenomenal recently, winning seven straight games, it is notable that six of those games came at home, and the sole game that was on the road was versus the Utah Jazz, a team that has plummeted to the bottom of the Western Conference recently. The Clippers are a substantially better team at home (+9.8 net rating, 11-3 record) than they are on the road (+0.5 net rating, 4-7 record) this season. That matters in this spot.
Conversely, the Pacers have had a tough stretch of road games that should not necessarily be an indictment on their overall direction. This game won’t be much easier, but they will have a home-court advantage; they have a team shooting split of 49/40/82 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The most important aspect of this game will undoubtedly be the availability of Myles Turner and Tyrese Haliburton, who are still both listed as questionable just a few hours before tip-off. If they play, Indiana +4 is a solid bet. However, the Clips have way too much offensive firepower for the ‘Cers if Haliburton and Turner cannot give it a go. Indiana is 8-21 in 29 total games without Haliburton since the beginning of the 2022-23 season.
Los Angeles Clippers Vs. Indiana Pacers Prediction: Pacers +4 (if Haliburton and Turner play)
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Los Angeles Clippers Vs. Indiana Pacers Best Odds
Indiana is a four-point home dog against the Los Angeles Clippers for Monday night’s game. The Pacers have Moneyline odds of +145, while the Clippers are -175 to grab an impressive road victory outright. The point total for this matchup rests at 248 points, which is right around the recent standard of what you can expect for a Pacers game. Keep an eye on the ‘Cers injury report, in particular, as Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner are day-to-day with a knee and hamstring injury, respectively.
Los Angeles Clippers Starting Lineup
PG: James Harden
SG: Terance Mann
SF: Paul George
PF: Kawhi Leonard
C: Ivica Zubac
Indiana Pacers Starting Lineup
PG: Tyrese Haliburton
SG: Bruce Brown
SF: Buddy Hield
PF: Obi Toppin
C: Myles Turner
Los Angeles Clippers Vs Indiana Pacers Injuries
The Indiana Pacers are set to two key rotation players, with Andrew Nembhard (knee) and Jalen Smith (heel) already listed as out. Additionally, Tyrese Haliburton has a knee injury and is listed as questionable, and Myles Turner is also questionable due to hamstring soreness, so keep an eye on those injuries leading up to tip-off. Meanwhile, for the Clippers, Bones Hyland (knee) is day-to-day, while Mason Plumlee (knee) and Moussa Diabate (hip) will not suit up for tonight’s bout.
