Spurs vs Pacers NBA Paris Games Picks & Odds: Wemby, San Antonio Underdogs In France

The NBA has returned to Paris, France for the fourth time in its history to host regular season action as the San Antonio Spurs battle the Indiana Pacers on Thursday for the first of two meetings in the country.

Here's a spread, moneyline, total, and player prop expert pick as local hero Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs try and pull off an upset as the 3.5-point underdogs (-110) at Accor Arena on January 23, 2025.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers Betting Odds

Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers, 2 p.m. ET

Odds as of January 23, 2025 at Sportsbook

San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers Expert Picks

Indiana Pacers ATS -3.5 (-110), ML (-162)

Games on neutral ground take away the due diligence of finding patterns with recent home and away trends as neither side is competing in their regular arena. However, you could say these are special circumstances for the Spurs as they should be an overwhelming favorite for local supporters considering Wembanyama grew up basically 45 minutes away from the building in Le Chesnay and just helped the nation achieve a silver medal in men's basketball during the 2024 Olympics. 

San Antonio has dropped six of its last seven games both SU and ATS, ranking 24th in offense (110.4 points per 100 possessions) and 28th in defense (120.2 points allowed per 100 possessions) during this horrid stretch to lose ground in the race to qualify for the Western Conference play-in tournament. The Pacers are on a complete opposite trajectory with eight victories in their last nine games and nine in their last 11 both SU and ATS to improve to 24-19, good enough for the No. 5 seed in the East. 

Both teams haven't competed since the weekend in preparation for the overseas travel, so unrested legs shouldn't be an issue in theory. That should only benefit a Spurs team looking to get back on track in the win-loss column, but as recent history would suggest, Indiana may be too much on both ends to really give them a chance here. Even with the roar of the crowd likely leaning heavily in San Antonio's favor, it's just highly unlikely that one of the hottest teams going today is going to falter under these circumstances against an opponent which currently has lost its mojo. 

UNDER 230 Total Points (-112)

Of the three prior games to have taken place in Paris, only one has exceeded the 230-point mark, and that was in Jan. 23 when the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls combined for 234 points.

Indiana has also reached an UNDER in seven of its last eight outings despite possessing the ninth-best offense across the Association during that span. The long layoff could also play a factor here, further strengthening the resolve in riding an UNDER. 

San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers Player Prop

Victor Wembanyama To Score 30+ Points (+120)

The league office would love nothing more than to see one of its greatest international superstars show out in front of his hometown fans. While projecting a 30-point performance may be pushing it for a player in Wembanyama who has only pulled that feat off in nine appearances across 36 total games, the stars are aligned for such a box score to occur.

The Pacers have allowed the seventh-most points in the paint to opponents this season, so even though half of the 7-foot-4 unicorn's shot attempts are coming from the 3-point line, he could exploit an interior defense lacking in bodies with just Myles Turner a threat to give him trouble. To be fair, Wembanyama is a mismatch for basically all 29 teams, and there's going to be extra incentive for him to put on a show in Paris. 

San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers Betting Trends

*all betting trends courtesy of Outlier