Pacers vs. Pistons Prediction, Odds, Key Players to Watch for NBA Opening Night (Back Indiana)

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons matchup on Wednsday, Oct. 23.

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) celebrates with guard Tyrese Haliburton. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers are looking to build on their Eastern Conference Finals appearance last season when they take on the Detroit Pistons in their season opener on Wednesday night.

Indiana didn’t make a major move in the offseason. Instead, it opted to keep intact the core that made the ECF, and now it has a full season of Pascal Siakam playing alongside Tyrese Haliburton. 

Detroit, on the other hand, made some major changes. It fired head coach Monty Williams and hired J.B. Bickerstaff, and the team brought in veterans like Malik Beasley, Tobias Harris, and Tim Hardaway Jr. while drafting Ron Holland in the lottery. 

Detroit is hoping it will be much better than last season when it won just 14 games, but some young players are going to have to take a step in the 2024-25 season. 

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, key players to watch and my best bet for this Central Division clash. 

Pacers vs. Pistons Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Pacers -5 (-110)
• Pistons +5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Pacers: -205
• Pistons: +170

Total

• 233.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

Pacers vs. Pistons How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, Oct. 23
• Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Little Caesars Arena
• How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Detroit
• Pacers record: 0-0
• Pistons record: 0-0

Pacers vs. Pistons Injury Reports

Pacers Injury Report

• Johnny Furphy – questionable
• Obi Toppin – questionable
• Isaiah Jackson – questionable

Pistons Injury Report

• Bobi Klintman – out
• Ausar Thompson – out

Pacers vs. Pistons Key Players to Watch

Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton: Haliburton averaged an NBA-high 10.9 assists per game last season, and now he’s looking to build on that against the rebuilding Detroit Pistons. Last season, Hali had 10, 16, 13, and nine assists in four games against the Pistons. He should thrive in a full season with Pascal Siakam on the roster. 

Detroit Pistons

Cade Cunningham: One of the very few bright spots of Detroit, Cunningham averaged 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game last season. Can he make the leap to an All-Star in the 2024-25 season? The Pistons are betting on it, giving him a max contract extension during the offseason. 

Pacers vs. Pistons Prediction and Pick

Even though the Pistons are at home, I can’t get behind them to cover in this game. 

Adding Harris, Beasley, and Hardaway Jr. should help raise this team’s floor, but there are still a ton of questions about some of these young players and whether or not they’ll be contributing pieces for the long haul.

Meanwhile, Indiana had the No. 2 offense in the NBA last season and played at a frenetic pace – with a ton of depth. 

As long as the Pacers don’t have a horrid shooting night, they should roll against this Pistons team that was 29th in the league in net rating last season. 

Pick: Pacers -5 (-110)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.