Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Preview
Game one of this Eastern Conference first-round series between the Pacers and Celtics is set for 8:00 PM ET at TD Garden in Boston. ESPN is carrying the game on TV. The Celtics are the 10 point favorites at home and are -464 on the money line. The Pacers are +355, and the over/under line is sitting at 221 points.
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Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Last season, the Pacers and Celtics did not face off head-to-head. When looking back over the last three times these two teams have played, the Celtics have the leg up at 2-1. However, against the spread the Pacers went 2-1. The over/under record in these matchups was 2-1 on an average of 245 points per game.
- In their last five games away from home, the Pacers have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 110 points per game in this stretch.
- The Celtics are 2-1 ATS in their last three home games and 3-0 straight-up.
- As the betting underdog, the Pacers have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. Indiana posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Celtics have gone 6-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 8-2.
Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Prediction
The Pacers are coming off a 130-109 win over the Knicks in their last game. This win clinched the series for the Pacers, as they won the series 4-3 in seven games. Indiana picked up this win on the road.
Offensively, the Pacers were led by Tyrese Haliburton, who finished the game with 26 points and six assists. He also knocked down six threes on 50% shooting from beyond the arc. As a team, Indiana shot 67.1% from the field and 54.2% from three-point range.
The Celtics closed out their series vs. the Cavaliers with a 113-98 win at home. This win gave them a 4-1 series win over Cleveland. Boston’s offense was able to surpass the over/under line of 205 points, as the teams combined for 211 points.
Offensively, the Celtics were led by Jayson Tatum’s 25 points. He also added 10 rebounds and nine assists. Al Horford also had a big game for Boston, finishing with 22 points and 15 rebounds. As a team, the Celtics shot 52.5% from the field and made 19 threes.
The Pacers have an over/under record of 51-44 this season, and the over has hit in their last two games. On average, their games have finished with a combined score of 241 points, and today’s O/U line is set at 221.
Indiana’s ATS record for the season is 51-42, and they have covered the spread in two straight games. On the road, they are 25-22 ATS compared to 26-20 ATS at home.
Indiana’s last game finished with a combined score of 239 points, easily surpassing the O/U line of 206.5. The Pacers won the game by a score of 130-109 and were 2.5-point underdogs going into the game.
The Pacers are currently the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 47-35. Against the Eastern Conference, they are 32-20 and 11-6 against other teams in the Central Division.
Indiana is 23-25 on the road this season, and their straight-up record as the underdog is 23-21. In terms of ATS, they are 26-16 as the underdog compared to 25-26 as the underdog.
Indiana comes into the game as the NBA’s top-scoring team, at 123.3 points per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 119.4 points per contest. The Pacers are also one of the faster-paced teams in the league, averaging 101.2 possessions per game.
Looking at Tyrese Haliburton’s last five games, he is averaging 21.8 points per game on a shooting percentage of 54.4%. In these games, he hit 4 threes per game. Pascal Siakam has hit 56.8% of his shots in his last five games and is averaging 21.4 points per game. For the season, Haliburton is averaging 20.1 points and 10.9 assists.
When it comes to defense, the Pacers have struggled this season, ranking 26th in points allowed per game at 118.9. However, over their last five games, they have been much better, giving up just 105.6 points per game, which is 8th best in the NBA over that span.
One area where Indiana has excelled this season is in defending the three-point line. They are tops in the league in three-point percentage allowed at 36.6% and have done a good job of limiting attempts, allowing just 10.8 made threes per game.
Despite their struggles on defense this season, the Pacers have done a good job of not fouling, ranking 1st in personal fouls. However, they have struggled at the free-throw line, giving up 25.6 made free throws per game, which is 30th in the NBA.
The Celtics are currently 1st in the Eastern Conference with a record of 64-18. In the East, they are 41-11 and 23-7 against non-conference opponents.
At home, the Celtics have a record of 41-6 and are favored by 10 points in today’s game. Their straight-up record as the favorite is 70-18 this season, and they have been favored in 88 of their 82 games.
In terms of their ATS record at home, the Celtics are 25-20 and have gone 45-39 vs. the spread as the favorite. Their average scoring margin at home is +14.6 PPG.
Boston’s O/U record for the season is 48-43-1, and their games have averaged 227.1 points per game. The average O/U line in their games is 226.8.
In their last game, the Celtics beat the Cavaliers by a score of 113-98. The O/U line for that game was 205 points, and Boston was favored by 15.5 points.
Boston has won three straight games and is 47-41 vs. the spread for the season. The O/U has gone over in their last two games.
Looking at the Celtics’ season numbers, they are the league’s top three-point shooting team, both in terms of three-point shooting percentage and three-pointers made per game. Overall, they have hit 16.5 threes per game. As a team, they are averaging 120.6 points per game, which is the second-highest mark in the league.
Jayson Tatum is averaging 26.8 points per game over his last five games, while Jaylen Brown is at 23.4 points per game in his last five. Brown has hit 59.2% of his shots in that stretch, compared to 44.1% for Tatum. Derrick White is averaging 14 points per game on 38.1% shooting.
When it comes to defense, the Boston Celtics are one of the best in the league, ranking 3rd in points allowed per game at 107.9. This season, opposing teams have shot just 45.3% from the field against Boston, which is the 2nd best mark in the NBA.
One area where the Celtics have been especially tough is inside the arc, as they are 3rd in two-point shooting percentage allowed at 52.0%. Despite being 29th in personal fouls, Boston has done a great job of keeping opponents off the free-throw line, allowing just 16.7 made free-throws per game, which is the fewest in the league.
In terms of three-point defense, the Celtics are right in the middle of the pack, allowing opponents to shoot 34.8% from deep. However, they have done a good job of limiting three-point attempts, as opposing teams have taken just 36.6 threes per game against Boston, which is 23rd in the NBA.
Even though they are 10 point underdogs, we see the Pacers winning this game by a score of 116-115.
Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Betting Tips
- We like the Pacers on the moneyline (+355)
- The Pacers are also our pick on the spread at +10
- Projecting a combined 231 points, we like the over
Boston Celtics Injury Report
- Kristaps Porzingis – Calf – Out
- Xavier Tillman Sr. – Personal – Questionable
Indiana Pacers Injury Report
- Bennedict Mathurin – Shoulder – Out
