Arriving from of a formidable – but losing – playoff effort last year vs the Bulls, the Pacers came roaring back to start the 2011-2012 year. The squad is going through its best early record in the previous eight years, but are still troubled vs the more skillful squads in the league. While they’re 11-4 to date, merely 4 of those victories are vs squads with records above .500.

College football odds

With the Magic coming to visit on Tuesday, January 24, the Pacers will have a better task on their hands, and they’ll need the home court edge tonight. Indiana is undefeated at home this year and will look to extend their record to 6-0. If they are able to grab a victory, it’ll be the first time the squad has begun a year with six consecutive home victories since the 2002-2003 year.

College football odds

However the Orlando Magic are a fearsome foe who are 11-5 on the year to date. And recent history is all on Orlando’s side. The Orlando Magic have defeated the Pacers in Indiana in all the previous 3 matchups between the two. Actually, Orlando has won these games on the road in Indianapolis by around 13 points. The most recent competition between the two was January 26, 2011.

The Pacers will also need to find a way to handle Orlando Magic celebrity Dwight Howard. Howard has directed the squad to an 11-3 record over Indiana, and he has put up double-doubles in each of these matches. In spite of the challenges ahead for the Pacers, the sports book posts them as the -3 favorites to defeat the Orlando Magic. The total is established at 182.5.

Both squads come into this match with a 7-3 record over their last ten matches. The Pacers have a 5-0 home record to date, while the Orlando Magic are 5-3 on the road. Look for Orlando to make a amazingly formidable showing after their disastrous 87-56 loss to the Boston Celtics a few days ago.