4 things to know about the Pacers and the NBA draft lottery

With seven games remaining in the Pacers season, here's 5 things to know about their position in the lottery:

1.The Pacers are currently tied for seventh in the lottery

Here are the standings entering Monday's game against the Mavericks with lottery odds for a top 4 pick and the No. 1 pick from tankathon.com:

5. Orlando, 32-43, 42.1%, 10.5%

6.Portland, 32-42, 37.2%, 9.0%

7.Indiana, 33-42, 29.4%*, 6.8%*

7.Washington, 33-42, 29.0%*, 6.7%*

*-There will be a random drawing to break ties at the end of the season, these are odds for the 7th and 8th place teams.

2.Finishing sixth is significantly better than finishing seventh

The odds drop between finishing sixth and seventh in the lottery is the second-best, from 37.2% for a top 4 pick to 29.4%, a 7.8% drop. The only larger difference is between 8th and 9th -- 8.7%. These are also the two biggest drops for the No. 1 pick, decreasing by 2.2%.

3.Remaining schedule works against the Pacers

Orlando has the toughest remaining schedule with a .541 winning percentage; however the Magic are also playing the best of these teams with a 5-5 record in their last 10 games. They also have a better record than two of their remaining opponents (Washington and Detroit). Orlando also the fewest home games remaining (three).

The Pacers and Wizards are each playing a schedule with a .523 winning percentage; and each is playing one team (Detroit and Houston, respectively) it has a better record than. Both teams also have 5 home games and two road games left.

Portland faces the weakest remaining schedule at .518 but only has a better record than one team -- San Antonio -- and it appears superstar Damian Lillard will sit out the rest of the season. The Trailblazers have four home and four road games remaining.

There's little difference in the odds between finishing seventh or eighth -- other than being more likely to pick one spot lower, of course -- but there are significant benefits to move up the lottery to fifth or sixth.

4.The Mavericks are disintegrating

Dallas superstar Luka Doncic is playing Monday after the NBA rescinded his 16th technical foul Sunday. Sixteen technicals is a one-game suspension. The Mavericks have also lost four straight and are just 3-7 in their last 10 games. In addition, they owe the Knicks a top-10-protected first-round pick and currently sit 10th in the lottery.