The noise surrounding Philadelphia has been deafening since the acquisitions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown and the superteam has largely lived up to expectations. The Sixers opened their season by beating the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, erased a 29-point deficit against Cleveland, and followed that with a 127-116 victory over Milwaukee. Even their subsequent defeat to Detroit is forgivable, considering the Pistons finished atop the Eastern Conference last season in the regular season standings.
Meanwhile, Indiana is coming off an ugly defeat in Cream City against a Milwaukee outfit effectively undergoing a rebuild. Who the heck wants to back the Pacers against Philadelphia after that? Well, that's precisely what makes this interesting. Despite the enormous disparity in public perception, the Sixers are laying just a bucket on the road. We're also looking at a high Over/Under, suggesting another offensively rich contest where scoring runs and momentum swings could play a significant role. Philadelphia looks like the obvious choice, but the point spread hardly suggests the Sixers are expected to dominate. In a matchup priced this closely, Indiana as a home dog in this range is substantially equitable. The Sixers might have all the hype, but that doesn't mean they can't stub their toe. I am backing the Pacers to pull the upset.
76ers vs Pacers prediction: Indiana +122 (ML) available at time of publishing. Playable to +115.
