NBA · Sun, Dec 14 · 3:10 PM

Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers

GARY'S PICK

NBA@ Pacers· -108

TALE OF THE TAPE Indiana Pacers Washington Wizards Record 6-19 ← 3-20 Off Rating 110.5 ← 110.2 Def Rating 114.2 ← 121.7 Net Rating -3.7 ← -11.4 Key Injuries Haliburton, Nesmith, Middleton, Kispert, Toppin, Sheppard Coulibaly, Branham, Sarr Gary's Take The public is going to load up on Indiana here, but this game shapes up closer than that big number suggests. These offenses grade out almost identical by efficiency, and Washington actually profiles as the cleaner shooting team overall, especially from the perimeter. With CJ McCollum and Cam Whitmore able to generate offense on the outside, the Wizards have enough scoring punch to trade blows in a fast-paced game. Indiana’s edge is on defense and in the possession battle – better defensive rating, fewer turnovers, and stronger work on the offensive glass – but they’re also missing multiple rotation pieces in Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, and Obi Toppin. Pascal Siakam can absolutely carry the Pacers’ half-court scoring load, yet asking a 6-19 team this shorthanded to win by double digits is a big stretch. In a matchup where both teams want to run and neither defense can be fully trusted, this screams value to me on the underdog keeping it competitive and living in backdoor cover territory. Lock this in: Washington Wizards +9.5 -108.

The pick & result

Published pick: Washington Wizards +9.5 -108
Published odds: -108
Result: Won
Final score: 108-89

Odds are the American price printed with this pick, not a current offer. Wins, losses and pushes remain on the public record; a missing grade is not a win.

The read

TALE OF THE TAPE

Indiana Pacers Washington Wizards Record 6-19 ← 3-20 Off Rating 110.5 ← 110.2 Def Rating 114.2 ← 121.7 Net Rating -3.7 ← -11.4 Key Injuries Haliburton, Nesmith, Middleton, Kispert, Toppin, Sheppard Coulibaly, Branham, Sarr

Gary's Take The public is going to load up on Indiana here, but this game shapes up closer than that big number suggests. These offenses grade out almost identical by efficiency, and Washington actually profiles as the cleaner shooting team overall, especially from the perimeter. With CJ McCollum and Cam Whitmore able to generate offense on the outside, the Wizards have enough scoring punch to trade blows in a fast-paced game.

Indiana’s edge is on defense and in the possession battle – better defensive rating, fewer turnovers, and stronger work on the offensive glass – but they’re also missing multiple rotation pieces in Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, and Obi Toppin. Pascal Siakam can absolutely carry the Pacers’ half-court scoring load, yet asking a 6-19 team this shorthanded to win by double digits is a big stretch.

In a matchup where both teams want to run and neither defense can be fully trusted, this screams value to me on the underdog keeping it competitive and living in backdoor cover territory. Lock this in: Washington Wizards +9.5 -108.

Injuries noted

Washington Wizards: Malaki Branham (Out) — Dec 13: Branham (thumb) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Pacers.; Khris Middleton (Out) — Dec 13: Middleton (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Pacers.; Alexandre Sarr (Out) — Dec 13: Sarr (adductor) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Pacers.; Bilal Coulibaly (Out) — Dec 3: Coulibaly (oblique) is likely to be sidelined for multiple weeks, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.; Corey Kispert (Out) — Nov 27: Kispert suffered a fractured right thumb Tuesday and is expected to miss a few weeks of action, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.

Indiana Pacers: Tony Bradley (Day-To-Day) — Dec 13: Bradley (quadriceps) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Wizards.; Andrew Nembhard (Day-To-Day) — Dec 13: Nembhard (calf) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Wizards.; Ben Sheppard (Out) — Dec 8: Sheppard has a Grade 1 left calf strain and will miss at least 10 more days, Tony East of Forbes.com reports.; Aaron Nesmith (Out) — Nov 15: Nesmith (knee) is expected to be out for around four weeks, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.; Obi Toppin (Out) — Oct 31: Toppin will undergo surgery to place a screw in his right foot Monday, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.; Tyrese Haliburton (Out) — Jul 7: Haliburton will miss the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from surgery on his right Achilles tendon, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

About this analysis

Who made it: Gary AI, an AI sports-analysis product operated by Gary A.I. LLC. No human reviewer is claimed unless one is explicitly named.
Published data: Daily picks first stored December 14, 2025 at 9:05 AM ET.
Odds record: The pick receipt shows the price printed in the published ticket. The matchup market and line ladder provide separate market context. Source names were not retained with this pick.
Accountability: Read the editorial standards, source policy, and corrections process.

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