Are the Pacers Being Underrated by Outsiders?

Bleacher Report has the Pacers finishing with a 46-36 record. This was the 8th best record in Bleacher Report's record prediction article. New York, Boston, Miami, Toronto, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Detroit were all predicted to have better records than the blue and gold.

SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys also had the Pacers as the 8th best team in the Eastern Conference. They predicted the Hawks, 76ers, Raptors, Celtics, Knicks, Cavaliers and Pistons would finish with better records. Miami, Orlando and Charlotte were behind the Pacers.

The New York Post had a rare positive outlook on the Indiana Pacers. In their 'Way-too-early NBA power rankings for 2026-27: Can the Knicks repeat?' article, they had the Pacers ranked No. 4 in the entire NBA to win a title, and had them No. 2 in the East behind the New York Knicks.

CBS Sports has the Pacers ranked No. 5 on their Power Rankings list, with only the New York Knicks and new-look Philadelphia 76ers ranked higher from the Eastern Conference. I previously touched on CBS Sports being higher on the Pacers than most, and the trend continues here.

ESPN has not put out a Power Ranking since the offseason concluded, but they did have a 'Post-Finals NBA Power Rankings' article that had the Pacers as the No. 11 team in the NBA and No. 5 in the East. This was made before Jaylen Brown and LeBron James joined the 76ers and Giannis joining the Heat. I am sure this will not be their standings predictions as the season gets closer, but still noteworthy.

Oddsmakers

Draft Kings Sportsbook has the Pacers over-under at 44.5 wins this upcoming season. They are 40-1 to win the NBA Championship, 16-1 to win the Eastern Conference, and +400 to win the division. This would put the Pacers with the 8th best odds in the Eastern Conference behind New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, Miami, and Boston.

Polymarket gives the Pacers the 7th highest odds in the East to make the playoffs. This would have them ranked 7th overall and behind Miami, Cleveland, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.

Fan Duel Sportsbook has the Pacers at a +1500 to win the Eastern Conference, which would put them at the 9th best odds in the conference. Orlando, Miami, Cleveland, Toronto, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York all are ranked higher. Indiana is listed at +4000 to win the NBA Finals.

Bet MGM has the Pacers at +1600 to win the Eastern Conference, which places them with the 8th best odds. Their odds are similar to Fan Duel's, but Bet MGM has the Pacers above the Hawks and Magic.

Action Network has a 'Current NBA Eastern Conference Champion Odds' list and Pacers are ranked 9th on the list. The most surprising part about this is not that Indiana is ranked No. 9, but that Washington is ranked above them at No. 8. Miami, Cleveland, Toronto, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York are once again all ranked higher.

Final Thoughts

Aside from the New York Post and CBS Sports, the consensus is down on the Indiana Pacers from where they were at two seasons ago. Many predict that they will finish the year as a play-in team and have their win totals in the mid to low forties.

It's understandable to have questions about Indiana when you're factoring in Haliburton's return from an Achilles injury and the addition of Ivica Zubac to the roster. Learning to play alongside a vastly different big man in Zubac will present its own challenges, while the uncertainty surrounding what Haliburton will look like after missing 16 months makes buying into Indiana's potential a bit of a risk.

Nonetheless, Indiana was already motivated to get back to their winning ways after last season's gap year, but the level of disbelief in this team will only give them more reason to prove they're a top team in the conference.