Indiana Pacers at Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, December 23 looks like a mismatch on paper. Our ratings give the Suns about a 80% chance, and the Pacers would need an unusual night to change that.
Why the gap is wide
The Win Meter reads the Suns 80%, with a projected score of Indiana Pacers 108, Phoenix Suns 116. The rating gap is 141 points in favor of the Suns, and home court and rest add about 100 rating points for the Suns on top of that.
A reading this high has real meaning, but upsets of this size happen. Nearly one game in 5 like it goes the other way.
Recent form
The Pacers are 1-1 this season and 2-3 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -1.4. The Suns are 0-1 this season and 0-5 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -22.
The Pacers' best recent win was 123-94 on the road against BKN.
The Pacers were beaten 121-105 at home by DAL not long ago.
The Suns were beaten 124-83 on the road by POR not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: T.J. McConnell (IND), expected back Oct 25, 2026, Johnny Furphy (IND), expected back Jan 2, 2027, Ben Sheppard (IND), expected back Dec 1, 2026, and Mark Williams (PHX), expected back Feb 3, 2027.
Day to day or questionable: Luke Kennard (PHX) and Oso Ighodaro (PHX). Their status can change before tip-off.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the series is even, with the Suns outscoring the Pacers by an average of 5.8 points per game. The last meeting was PHX 123, IND 108.