Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets Preview – 3 April 2026

3rd April 2026

The Indiana Pacers head to Charlotte tonight as heavy favourites at 1.10 on the moneyline – and on paper, it’s hard to argue with that. Charlotte are down to the bone with injuries and this has the feel of a comfortable Indy win.

The Injury Situation

Charlotte are missing Coby White, Miles Bridges, Moussa Diabate, Tidjane Salaun and Obi Toppin – that’s five players out. Aaron Nesmith is also unavailable. Indiana aren’t unscathed either, with Aaron Nesmith listed out, but it’s nothing like the decimation CHA are dealing with.

With Miles Bridges (14.8 PPG in last 10) sidelined, the Hornets lose one of their top scorers. LaMelo Ball carries the load – 21 points per game over the last 10 – but he can’t do it all against a full-strength Pacers side.

Pace and Shooting Mismatch

Indiana play at a significantly faster pace (108) compared to Charlotte’s 96.5 – IND faster by 11.5 per Statz. The Pacers will look to push the tempo and exploit a depleted Hornets rotation in the open court.

Shooting differentials tell a similar story. Charlotte actually shoot the ball well – FG% of 49.5% vs Indiana’s 41.9% – but Indiana’s offensive rating of 112.2 vs Charlotte’s 93.6 defensively tells you what happens when pace gets involved. CHA’s defensive rating is the bigger concern here.

Head-to-Head

Charlotte lead the season series 2-1, but that includes a 133-109 IND win back in February when Brandon Miller dropped 33. The Pacers have the series momentum going into this one.

Prop Streaks to Watch

Quenton Jackson has hit under 0.5 blocks in 12 straight – at 1.16 with BetMGM that’s still live. LaMelo Ball is on a 6-game streak under 0.5 blocks (avg 0) at 1.15. Neither are world-beaters but both are in form. More interestingly, Quenton Jackson is under 10.5 points in 5 straight (averaging 6.2) at 1.83 with Caesars – that’s the one to look at.

Win% data has Charlotte at 70% recent form vs Indiana’s 30% – so there’s some life in the Hornets despite the spread. Charlotte -15.5 is a big number to cover even with a healthy lineup. Tread carefully on the spread.

Check the full IND vs CHA preview on Statz for live prop streaks and projections.