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The Boston Celtics will pay a visit to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to take on the Indiana Pacers in a 3 P.M. E.T. Sunday tip. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Celtics-Pacers prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
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Boston has by far been the best team in the NBA over the last one and half months of the season and has gone 13-2 over their last 15 games. They've owned the best defense in the league by a mile since the flip of the calendar. Despite their recent tear, they still just sit at 6th in the Eastern Conference standings. But a Bucks loss on Saturday to the Nets put them within striking distance of the 5th seed defending champs and the 4th seed Cleveland Cavaliers. They now trail Milwaukee by just a half-game and Cleveland by just one.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are in rebuild mode and have lost eight of their last nine outings. They won their final game prior to the All-Star break, their first in the Tyrese Haliburton era. However, Indiana lost its first game after the intermission to the similarly tanking Oklahoma City Thunder.
Boston has won both their encounters so far this season, the first being a 101-98 overtime win on January 10. The two teams met again two days later and this time, the Celtics blew out the Pacers to the tune of a 119-100 victory.
Here is how FanDuel has set the Celtics-Pacers NBA odds for this Saturday night NBA matchup.
NBA odds: Celtics–Pacers Odds
Boston Celtics: -9.5 (-106)
Indiana Pacers: +9.5 (-114)
Over: 226 (-110)
Under: 226 (-110)
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Why the Celtics could cover the spread
As dominant as they've been over the past month, Boston wasn't quite able to cover the 12.5-point spread against the Pistons on Saturday. They won by nine, which dropped their against the spread record to 31-29 this season. Still, their 17.8 point differential in February isn't one to gloss over, especially with the kind of lockdown defense they've been playing over this past month.
The Celtics are just an even 16-15 on the road this season but has rattled off seven straight road wins. They have a good chance of extending that to eight and start off their post-All-Star road trip 3-0.
Boston's big move prior to the trade deadline was acquiring Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs. White has fit like a glove in Beantown and has only helped improved the Celtics' defense further. In six games donning the Boston greens, White is averaging 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists.
The Celtics have yet to turn in their injury report for this game. But they've had a clean bill of health for quite a while now, so it should be full throttle for the Green Gang for this game against Indiana. The Celtics struggled through the first half of the season largely due to injuries and COVID. Now with everyone healthy, Boston is showing just how high its ceiling could be.
The Celtics' moneyline record is at 36-26 this season, while the over/under is at 27-35.
Why the Pacers could cover the spread
What favors the Pacers on Sunday is that the Celtics are playing the tail end of a back-to-back. They had a relatively tough outing against the testy Pistons and they could catch a fatigued Boston squad by surprise.
Since the blockbuster trade that brought in Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield, the Pacers have been 9th in offensive rating, 5th in points per game, and 4th in assists. Based on this 5-game sample size, Indiana has made strides offensively and is capable of putting up huge numbers on the scoreboard.
But as good as they've been offensively, it has been the total opposite on the other end of the floor. They rank 2nd to the last in defensive rating and have given up the 3rd most points over this stretch.
Health-wise, the Pacers have listed Chris Duarte (toe) and Lance Stephenson (ankle) as questionable. They are still without Myles Turner (foot), TJ McConnell (wrist), TJ Warren (foot), and Ricky Rubio (knee).
At 20-41, the Pacers are headed for the lottery to kickstart their rebuild. It's also worth noting that Indiana is just 14-18 at home and 9-28 against Eastern Conference teams. They are 27-31 against the spread, 20-41 on the moneyline, and 32-27 on the over/under.
Final Celtics–Pacers Prediction & Pick
This should be an easy bet on the Celtics based on the way they've been playing over the last couple of months. They are the much healthier squad entering Sunday, though it could be worth considering that they are playing their second game in as many afternoons. Indiana's fast-paced offense can give Boston some problems, but the Celtics have proven over this run that they can clamp down even the best offenses in the NBA.
Final Celtics–Pacers Prediction & Pick: Celtics: -10 (-106)
