Warriors vs. Pacers NBA expert prediction and odds for Thursday, Feb. 8 (Trust Golden State?)
By Peter Dewey
The Golden State Warriors picked up a big win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, and now they’ll play the second night of a back-to-back in Indiana against Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.
This would be a huge game for Golden State to win, as the team is now just one game back of the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Wednesday’s blowout win allowed the Warriors to rest Stephen Curry and others a little more than usual, so does that bode well for their chances of playing on the second night of a back-to-back?
Golden State is set as a road dog in this game, a spot it has thrived in this season.
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Let’s break down the latest odds and my best bet for this matchup on Thursday:
Warriors vs. Pacers odds, spread and total
Warriors vs. Pacers how to watch
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 8
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
- How to watch (TV): NBC Sports Bay Area, Bally Sports Indiana
- Warriors record: 23-25
- Pacers record: 29-23
Warriors vs. Pacers injury reports
Warriors injury report
- Not submitted yet
Pacers injury report
- Kendall Brown – questionable
- Tyrese Haliburton – questionable
- Bennedict Mathurin – questionable
- Oscar Tshiebwe – questionable
- Isaiah Wong – questionable
- Jalen Smith – questionable
Warriors vs. Pacers key players to watch
Golden State Warriors
Jonathan Kuminga: The rise of Kuminga is here, and he’s been Golden State’s second-best player since the turn of the new year. Kuminga is now averaging 15.4 points per game, but over his last 11, he’s been elite, posting nine 20-plus point games and averaging 24.3 points per game on 59.9 percent shooting over that stretch.
Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton: Still on a minutes limit, Haliburton saw his playing time increase to 29:05 in the team’s win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night. Could Rick Carlisle let his All-Star guard play his usual role tonight? It remains to be seen, but Hali is averaging 15.4 points and 5.4 assists per game since returning from his hamstring ailment.
Warriors vs. Pacers prediction and pick
There are a few things to watch out for in this game with Golden State:
- The team's injury report on the second night of a back-to-back
- The team’s deadline moves
Golden State has been rumored to be potentially moving Andrew Wiggins – although there is nothing concrete that the team will do so. If he is traded, that could swing the spread in this game in Indiana’s favor.
Still, I think this is a prime spot for Golden State to cover, as it’s been great on the road (9-4 ATS as road underdog) and solid on the second night of back-to-backs (4-4 ATS).
After the Warriors’ starters were able to rest late on Wednesday, I doubt the team will sit out any key players for rest, especially since Golden State needs every game it can get to make the playoffs this season.
As for Indiana, the Pacers are just 7-8-1 ATS as home favorites, and they’ve covered just twice in five games since Haliburton returned on a minutes limit. If Hali doesn't play his usual role tonight, the Pacers may not be able to build a big enough lead to beat Golden State by seven or more.
Pick: Warriors +6.5 (-112)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.