It's been a rough week in the NBA, and Tyler Herro going down with a first-quarter injury only made things worse. A 1-3 Wednesday night brings our season record to .500 at 21-21.
There are only two games on Thursday night, including one in Mexico City. Let's turn the week around with our Thursday best bets.
Pacers team total over 119.5
The Pacers have the highest-rated offense in the NBA and average the most points per game (124.9). They've scored more than 120 points in six of their eight games.
The Bucks have the sixth-worst-rated defense in the league. Milwaukee especially struggles with perimeter defense at the point of attack and preventing scoring guards from getting into the lane.
The Pacers' strength is their guard play, as they contribute to the majority of Indiana's scoring.
The only concern with this play is the Pacers are coming off a back-to-back, which could lead to tired legs. However, the Bucks are, too, and they have to travel to Indiana. The Bucks also played a thriller last night in Detroit, while the Pacers won handily and didn't play most of their starters drastic minutes.
Odds: -120 (playable to -130)
Buddy Hield: Over 13.5 points
Hield shot 2-for-12 from three Wednesday night, a rare off night for one of the best pure shooters in the league. He still managed to finish with 10 points despite 16% shooting from deep in 22 minutes.
Hield's too good of a shooter to have back-to-back off nights. He's only had three games this season with less than three made 3-pointers. He's still shooting 40% from three on the season, on par with his career average. Expect him to return to that percentage tonight against a Bucks defense that ranks seventh-worst in opponent effective field-goal percentage.
Hield's gone over his point total in five of his eight games. Also, look for his over threes prop when that comes out closer to game time.
Odds: -110 (playable to -120)
Paolo Banchero: Over 4.5 assists
Banchero's scoring was always evident during his rookie season in Orlando, but his playmaking has evolved from last year. He's averaging 5.6 assists, up from 3.7.
His development, along with the rest of the Magic's young core, has created a young, exciting team off to a surprising 4-3 start. Banchero recognizes the talent surrounding him and, at times, focuses on distributing as much as scoring.
He's gone over his assist total in all seven games this season and has had at least five assists in his last three games.
Odds: -135 (playable to -150)
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @soshtry for more betting coverage.
