Indiana Pacers vs Toronto Raptors Prediction

The Toronto Raptors (7-9) were without All-Star duo Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam overnight but didn't need either man to outlast the Indiana Pacers (9-7) away from home.

OG Anunoby had a season-high 30 points alongside eight rebounds and five steals, while there were big displays from Norman Powell, Fred VanVleet and Chris Boucher also impressed from the bench.

Indiana's first-year coach Nate Bjorkgren must adapt after watching his players crumble in crunch time, as the 45-year-old tries to split the two-game series against his own former boss in Nick Nurse.

Their 107-102 defeat means three defeats in the last four games, while Toronto - who started the season struggling, won five from their last six matches.

Will they exact swift revenge in tonight's matchup, or can the Raptors continue their encouraging recent form away from home comforts here with a three-game home stint of their own to come? Read my basketball preview, for the best betting odds ahead of this compelling H2H matchup.

Indiana Pacers vs Toronto Raptors Preview

Lowry (infected toe) and Siakam (left knee swelling) remain doubtful to feature in the second of Toronto's back-to-back schedule here. Between the pair, they're averaging 36.8 points, 14.6 rebounds and 11.8 assists per game so far this season for the Raptors - quietly improving.

Although their absence is felt on the court, shooting guard and leading scorer Fred VanVleet (19.1 PPG) said they're adapting to a weird dynamic with added responsibility on others to step up.

"It's just a funny dynamic where some of your best players are out, and there's just more opportunity for other guys. Like an OG [Anunoby], the ball was finding him - in positions he probably wouldn't be in, if we had our full team."

It was he who stripped the ball from Malcolm Brogdon to force a shot-clock violation with 19.6 seconds left, as the Raptors had a slender lead to protect.

He cited previous experience playing for good coaches in his younger years, being taught the value of being in the right place at the right time to make crucial plays.

Brogdon endured a rough shooting night (5-of-22 shooting), while Domantas Sabonis (10 pts, 19 rebs) went scoreless in the second-half with 0-of-7 from the field after the break.

Myles Turner, who had 25 points and six blocks, praised Anunoby's aggressiveness and the Raptors' overall defence while equally hinting the Pacers' inability to make shots cost them.

Sabonis went 1-of-10 on shots from the field overall, Brogdon was 1-of-10 from three-point range, and those statistics rather typify what a frustrating outing for the hosts was.

They shot 33.3% from deep, 40.2% overall and had 18 turnovers - but were still in with a chance until the last few seconds. I expect their shooting will level out this time around, even with Toronto's defensive capabilities but whether they win or not could depend on Lowry-Siakam.

Indiana Pacers vs Toronto Raptors Betting Tips

Again, ESPN's Basketball Power Index has given the Raptors a slight advantage (57.5%), but I find it hard to believe Indiana's two key players will struggle as much as they did last time out.

Turner continues to lead the league in blocks per game (4.2), and his defensive presence is important for Indiana, though judging by his post-game comments, even he knows the Brogdon-Sabonis tandem needs to be firing if they're to avenge that defeat - without mentioning names.

It'll be interesting to see how they respond, having lost to an understaffed Raptors team, who could have one, both, or none of their All-Star players back in the rotation.

That uncertainty makes this a difficult one to confidently predict, but I'm expecting Indiana to learn from their mistakes in late-game situations and ultimately exact revenge this time around.