Indiana
Los Angeles Lakers vs Indiana Pacers (March 26, 2025): Prediction, odds, spread, best picks, and more | NBA News – The Times of India
The Los Angeles Lakers vs Indiana Pacers game is a crucial late-season matchup on Wednesday. Both teams are looking to solidify their playoff positions, with the Lakers trying to snap a four-game road losing streak and the Pacers riding a five-game winning streak. With star power on both sides and high-scoring potential, this game is shaping up to be one of the most exciting matchups of the week.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Indiana Pacers odds (via FanDuel) (March 26, 2025)
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +1.5 (-108) | +108 | O 233.5 (-110) |
| Indiana Pacers | -1.5 (-112) | -126 | U 233.5 (-110) |
The Lakers and Pacers have taken different paths leading into the Los Angeles Lakers vs Indiana Pacers matchup. Los Angeles has struggled on the road, dropping their last four away games, while Indiana has been dominant, winning five straight contests. The Pacers will also be looking to avoid a season sweep, as the Lakers have already secured wins in their previous meetings.
LeBron James and Luka Doncic will lead the charge for the Lakers, who have the offensive weapons to go toe-to-toe with Indiana’s high-paced attack. Meanwhile, the Pacers will rely on Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam to fuel their offense. Given the defensive struggles on both ends, expect a high-scoring battle at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers might cover the spread or win
(March 26, 2025)
Austin Reaves vs the Pacers (Image via Getty)
Despite their recent road woes, the Lakers have a solid case to win or at least cover the spread:
– Offensive balance: Los Angeles averages 113.1 points per game, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis providing consistent scoring threats.
– Free-throw efficiency: The Lakers rank 3rd in free throws made and 4th in attempts, which could be a game-changer in a close contest.
– Improved three-point shooting: The team has been knocking down 35.9% of their threes, giving them a reliable perimeter attack.
– Rebounding advantage: The Lakers average 42.6 rebounds per game, slightly better than Indiana’s 41.2, giving them more second-chance opportunities.
Additionally, Los Angeles is coming off a three-game home winning streak, which could help boost their confidence heading into this crucial matchup. If they can limit Indiana’s transition scoring and force them into half-court sets, the Lakers have a solid chance to pull off an upset.
Reasons why the Indiana Pacers might cover the spread or win
(March 26, 2025)
The Pacers have momentum on their side and several key advantages that could help them secure another victory:
– Elite offense: Indiana ranks among the top-scoring teams in the NBA, averaging 116.6 points per game.
– Depth scoring: Players like Buddy Hield and Bennedict Mathurin provide additional scoring threats, ensuring the offense doesn’t rely solely on its stars.
– Home-court advantage: The Pacers have been strong at home, making it difficult for opponents to steal wins at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Lakers’ defensive struggles on the road, coupled with Indiana’s ability to push the pace, could be the deciding factor. If the Pacers control the tempo and take advantage of Los Angeles’ inconsistencies, they should be able to not only cover the spread but also come away with the win.
Final Los Angeles Lakers vs Indiana Pacers prediction and pick
(March 26, 2025)
Given the Pacers’ recent hot streak and the Lakers’ ongoing struggles away from home, Indiana has the edge in this matchup. With a dynamic offense and the motivation to avoid a season sweep, they are well-positioned to take care of business. The Lakers could make it competitive, but their defensive lapses may ultimately cost them.
Final prediction: Indiana Pacers -1.5 (-112), Over 233.5 (-110).
How to watch the Los Angeles Lakers vs Indiana Pacers game tonight (March 26, 2025)
– Time: 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT
– TV: Spectrum SportsNet, NBA League Pass
Let us know who you are going support tonight in the Los Angeles Lakers vs Indiana Pacers game. Also, don’t forget to follow TOI NBA for the latest updates on everything happening in the world of basketball.
(H/t Fanduel, ClutchPoints)
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and IPL live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man is dead after a shooting Thursday night on Indy’s near east side, police say.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, just after 8 p.m., officers were called to the 2000 block of East Washington Street on a report of a person shot.
When officers arrived, they found an adult male inside an apartment with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services transported the man to a hospital in critical condition, where died shortly after arriving.
Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin the investigation.
Crime Resources
Gov. Mike Braun asked state regulators to reconsider their decision to greenlight a $71 million rate increase for AES Indiana, doubling down on his condemnation of a move that could leave Indianapolis residents with higher electrical bills for years.
Braun wrote in a June 18 news release that he had asked Indiana Utility Counselor Abby Gray, who heads the office representing ratepayers in proceedings before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, to petition for a rehearing of the AES rate case.
Gray indicated in the release that her office would submit the petition shortly. No petition had been posted on the IURC’s online docket as of this story’s publication.
The rate increase, which was approved by the IURC on June 17, was substantially less than the $192 million increase that AES initially requested. It was also less than the amount proposed in a settlement last October between AES and major electricity consumers.
But the Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, which Gray leads, came out strongly against any increase to AES’s base rates. In September, the OUCC called for a $21 million reduction instead.
As the Republican Party grapples with rising discontent over affordability, Braun has used opposition to rising utility rates to telegraph that he’s committed to keeping costs down for Indiana residents. He signed a law in February that allows the state to make rate-setting decisions that reward or penalize utilities based on metrics including affordability.
In March, he told reporters that he would take on Indiana’s five investor-owned utilities, describing himself as the “new sheriff in town.”
And after the IURC voted 3-1 to approve the AES rate increase, he wrote in a post to X that he was “deeply disappointed.”
Braun wrote in the June 18 news release that he had appointed Gray, a longtime OUCC lawyer and judge, to her current post because he knew she “would help me fight for Hoosiers.”
According to AES’s estimates, the rate increase will cost households an additional $5 per month for every 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity they use, beginning in July. A second hike will take effect in January.
Tilly Robinson is a Pulliam fellow for the Indianapolis Star. She can be reached at tilly.robinson@indystar.com.
The Protect College Sports Act, legislation meant to introduce and codify sweeping reforms related to college athletics, passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday morning.
It now heads to the Senate floor.
The bill passed out of committee by a 19-9 vote. Indiana Republican Sen. Todd Young voted no, his decision reflecting Big Ten concerns over the bill.
A spokesman for Sen. Young told IndyStar, “Senator Young hopes that additional changes can be made to the bill to address concerns raised by the Big Ten.”
Co-sponsored by Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), the Protect College Sports Act represents Congress’ most substantial success so far in a yearslong effort to bring legislative reform to college athletics. Since before the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders in college sports — including the NCAA, member conferences and schools, and other major players — have lobbied for national solutions to what have become state and regional problems.
Several pieces of legislation have been introduced across the last several years, only to fizzle long before reaching the floor of either chamber. The SCORE Act, introduced last year in the House of Representatives, gained some traction and passed out of committee, but was never brought to the floor.
Which makes Thursday’s news meaningful. Moving the Protect College Sports Act to the Senate floor, while not a guarantee of any outcome, potentially takes the bill past a threshold no other such piece of reformative legislation has yet been able to cross.
Cruz told Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger on Thursday that Cruz believes Sen. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is committed to introducing the bill to the Senate floor soon.
The bill provides a legal framework for a host of potential reforms and protections for college sports. It grants limited antitrust protection to the NCAA, places limits on certain things including potential conference realignment, builds safeguards meant to protect non-revenue and Olympic sports, addresses potential broadcast rights reforms, and more.
It enjoys significant backing, and not just among leaders in college sports. This week, the NFL, its players’ association, the National Basketball Players Association and Major League Baseball all voiced their support for the bill.
Two key constituencies not in lockstep on the bill voiced their own concerns Thursday.
In a joint statement issued just after 10 a.m. Thursday, the Big Ten and SEC — far and away the two most powerful conferences and arguably two greatest power centers, full stop, in college athletics — suggested they still hold significant reservations over the bill.
“From the outset, we identified a set of essential revisions to the PCSA necessary for the long-term sustainability of college athletics,” the statement read. “We have worked with both majority and minority staff to advance those revisions, which focus on better supporting student-athletes and stabilizing the college sports environment. We continue to believe revisions are needed to secure our support for the bill.
“Despite our sustained engagement and good faith efforts, these critical revisions have not been accepted.”
The statement went on to note the “several Commerce Committee members that share our concerns and support these recommendations.”
Young is one of several members of the committee representing a Big Ten state, including one of three Republicans. He is the only Republican member of the committee whose state contains multiple schools in the conference.
Allowing for those reservations, Thursday’s news is still significant. It marks the first time a bipartisan bill on the subject has reached this point in the Senate and, should it be brought to the floor, it would be the first such legislation to reach that stage, in either chamber.
The bill could be brought to the Senate floor as early as July, though that timeline remains fluid.
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