The Indiana Pacers have the best record in the NBA. Indiana comes in sporting an impressive 33-7 record on the year. Indiana has proven they can do it at home or on the road. Their 102-94 win at Golden State Monday showed this team is capable of beating top teams on the road. Phoenix was expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA, but they have been one of the biggest surprises in the league. No one could have predicted that Phoenix would be 23-17 after 40 games. This is a Suns team that has been better than even the most optimistic preseason outlook could predict.

Indiana has proven itself as one of the elite teams in the league this year. Phoenix has definitely been a nice surprise, but the Suns still have plenty of doubters. What could help silence the doubters more than a win over the team with the best record in the NBA? Let’s take a closer look at whether the Suns might be able to pull off this upset.

Pacers at Suns Betting Story Lines

Indiana has lost only one game at home, so you definitely don’t want to have to play them there, but they are also a solid 12-6 away from home. It’s no secret how this Indiana team wins games. They play the best defense in the NBA, and the second-best team isn’t even close. Indiana has a couple very good perimeter defenders in Paul George and Lance Stephenson. These guys make the opposing guards and small forwards work really hard for open looks on the perimeter. They also do a good job keeping the play in front of them. If the opponent is actually able to get past this line of defense, the Pacers have arguably the best defensive big man in the game in Roy Hibbert sitting back by the basket. Hibbert blocks 2.6 shots per game, and the amount of shots he alters is something that should never be overlooked.

Indiana came up just short in their bid to knock off Miami last year, and the team knows they need to work extremely hard to get home-court advantage this season. If they can get home-court advantage against Miami, it’s possible that could prove to be the difference in the series. Miami has been losing some games of late, and the Pacers have a nice edge on the Heat right now. Don’t expect Indiana to be overlooking any games this year, because they have that home-court advantage in mind every single night.

How much of a surprise has Phoenix been? The oddsmakers set the season win total on the Suns at “over/under” 21.5 wins. It’s easy to say it now, but the “over” on the Suns win total was clearly the best bet on the board! Phoenix is 26-13-1 against the spread so far this year, so those who have backing the Suns consistently have certainly made a nice profit.

What have the Suns done to be such a big surprise? You have to start off giving new coach Jeff Hornacek a ton of credit for the job he has done with this young team. The Suns have talent, but for them to be this far ahead of schedule speaks very highly of Hornacek and the entire coaching staff. The Suns have been very successful in pushing the tempo of the game and using their superior athleticism and speed to win close games. Goran Dragic has been better than anyone could have hoped. The Morris twins have given the team a big boost on the inside.

The Suns suffered a major injury when Eric Bledsoe went down with a right knee injury. Phoenix is just 3-6 ATS since that injury, and bettors should be paying close attention to how the team fares without Bledsoe in the next few games.

Pacers at Suns NBA Betting Odds and Key Trends

BetOnline has listed the Pacers as a five-point road favorite in this one. The posted total is set at 196.5 points. Indiana is 38-17 ATS in their last 55 games overall. The Pacers are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games after scoring 100 points or more in their last game. Phoenix is 5-0 ATS in their last five games against the Pacers. The over is 5-1 in the Suns last six games overall. The over is 3-0-1 in the Pacers last four games overall.

Free NBA Picks: Pacers at Suns Betting Predictions

The Suns have been a great story this year, but the Bledsoe injury hurts this team in a big way. Phoenix is going to have a hard time keeping up with the Pacers without one of their most important players. Indiana looked as sharp as ever in their win over Golden State. The Pacers will have a huge advantage on the boards in this one. Look for the Pacers to win and cover the number.

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