Philadelphia 76ers vs Indiana Pacers Picks and Predictions for Wednesday October 28 2026
Philadelphia got knocked around by Detroit on Sunday, and now everybody wants to know whether the 76ers are going to start slipping. I’m not there yet. They won their first three games, and Tyrese Maxey has been scoring nearly 29 a night. Indiana can certainly give them trouble, especially at home, but the Pacers have some injuries that make this matchup interesting. If I’m putting money on one of these teams, I’d rather trust Philadelphia’s guards than hope Indiana has enough healthy bodies to handle them.
The 76ers travel to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Wednesday, October 28, for a 7:00 PM ET game on ESPN. Philadelphia is favored by 1.5 points, with a total around 238.5. That’s a pretty high number considering the injuries both teams are dealing with. My picks are Philadelphia -1.5 and Under 238.5. With the NBA season picking up traction it is time to find the winning path with our free NBA picks.
Philadelphia 76ers Need to Bounce Back From Detroit
Philadelphia is 3-1, with its only loss coming Sunday against Detroit. The Pistons won 106-93, and the 76ers never got enough offense going to make a serious comeback. Before that, Philadelphia had beaten Cleveland 114-106 and Milwaukee 127-116. So I’m not ready to panic over one loss. The 76ers have already shown they can beat decent teams, and they’ve had a couple of days to work through what went wrong against Detroit.
Philadelphia is scoring 110 points per game and allowing 107. That’s a pretty reasonable start defensively. The offense hasn’t been particularly efficient, shooting in the low 40s, but the 76ers have been creating extra possessions and getting to the foul line. They also have enough guards who can handle the ball to keep Indiana from loading up on one player. If the Pacers are missing some of their regular perimeter defenders, that’s a matchup Philadelphia should be able to exploit.
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Maxey is averaging 28.8 points and two steals. He scored 29 against Detroit even though the rest of the offense struggled. Joel Embiid has been averaging 9.7 rebounds, but his heel issue makes his availability uncertain. VJ Edgecombe is also day-to-day with an abdominal injury. Dominick Barlow is out with a back problem, and the frontcourt has other availability questions. Those injuries could change this bet. But if Maxey has enough help around him, I like Philadelphia’s chances of getting back on track.
Indiana Pacers Can Score, but the Injury List Is Getting Long
Indiana is 2-2 after losing 110-102 in Milwaukee on Monday. The Pacers had beaten Brooklyn 136-109 the night before, which tells you how quickly their offense can look completely different from one game to the next. Indiana is dangerous when it gets out in transition and the ball starts moving. But the Pacers haven’t been able to put together a consistent stretch yet, and their rotation is already getting tested.
Indiana is averaging 116.5 points while giving up 115. The Pacers play at a good pace and generate plenty of assists, but they also give opponents opportunities to score. That’s a concern against Maxey. Indiana can’t let him turn every high screen into a clean pull-up jumper or a drive into the paint. The Pacers need enough healthy defenders to stay in front of Philadelphia’s guards, and that may be asking a little much Wednesday.
Pascal Siakam is averaging 23.5 points, and Tyrese Haliburton is handing out 9.5 assists. That’s a pretty good combination when both are getting help. But Ivica Zubac is out with an ankle injury, and that’s a problem inside. T.J. McConnell and Ben Sheppard are out, while Andrew Nembhard has been dealing with a neck issue. Johnny Furphy is out for the season. Indiana still has scoring talent, but losing that much depth makes it harder to defend for 48 minutes.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Indiana Pacers Picks and Predictions
Philadelphia 76ers -1.5
I’ll lay the 1.5 with Philadelphia. The 76ers have the best scorer in this matchup right now in Maxey, and Indiana is missing some players who would normally help slow him down. The Pacers can absolutely win this game if Haliburton gets everybody involved and Siakam has a big night. I’m not dismissing that. But Philadelphia has been a little better defensively, and I think the 76ers have enough offense to make Indiana pay for those missing pieces. Embiid’s status matters, so I’d check the lineup before betting. Assuming Philadelphia doesn’t lose another major contributor, I’ll take the short favorite.
Under 238.5
Under 238.5 is my preferred total. I know Indiana just scored 136 against Brooklyn, and the Pacers can get hot in a hurry. But they followed that with 102 against Milwaukee, while Philadelphia scored only 93 against Detroit. Both teams have rotation problems, and Indiana’s missing big man could change how it plays defensively. The danger is that the guards turn this into a track meet and both teams get easy points before the defenses are set. But 239 is a lot of points. I think Philadelphia can win without either team reaching 125. Something like 116-112 would work.
Final Picks: Philadelphia 76ers -1.5 and Under 238.5
Preview prepared October 27, 2026.
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