Subscribe
Follow Us
The Indiana Pacers (15-16) visit the Boston Celtics (22-9) on Wednesday night. Action tips off at 7:40 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Pacers-Celtics prediction and pick.
Indiana has lost four of their last five games to drop them to ninth place in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers are 17-14 against the spread while 53% of their games have gone under. Boston, too, has lost four of their last five games but still resides in second place in the East. The Celtics are 18-13 against the spread while 52% of their games have gone over. This will be the first of three meetings between the teams this season. Boston won three of the four meetings last year, including both home outings.
Here are the Pacers-Celtics NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Pacers-Celtics Odds
Indiana Pacers: +10 (-112)
Boston Celtics: -10 (-108)
Over: 233 (-110)
Under: 233 (-110)
Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
Despite Indiana's poor stretch of late, they have still vastly outperformed preseason expectations thus far. The Pacers are a strong offensive team that ranks 13th in scoring and 18th in offensive rating. They're slightly below average defensively, ranking 21st in points allowed and 20th in defensive rating. Indiana's biggest weakness is on the glass where they rank 29th in rebound differential and 22nd in rebound rate.
If Indiana is going to cover as heavy road underdogs, they're going to have to score points in hopes of keeping up with Boston's explosive offense. Thankfully, the Pacers are well-equipped to do just that thanks to their strong guard play. Third-year guard Tyrese Haliburton is the cog that makes the Indiana machine run thanks to his unique combination of scoring and playmaking. Haliburton averages 19.5 PPG and a league-leading 10.7 APG. He is incredibly efficient in both scoring and playmaking as he shoots 47% from the field and averages just 2.7 turnovers per game. The talented guard has already shown success against the Celtics as he averaged 26 points and 5.5 assists in his two games against them as a Pacer. Boston had no answer for him last season as Haliburton made 18 of his 23 shots against them.
While their guards should have success against Boston's defense, Indiana is going to need to slow down the Celtics' offense if they want to cover tonight. Enter: Myles Turner. The Pacer's center is quietly having another strong season as he continues to be one of the most fearsome shot blockers in the league. Turner averages the third-most blocks per game in the league, swatting 2.2 shots per game. He's no slouch on offense, either, as he averages 16.9 PPG on 54% from the field and 42% from three. Turner's ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim is certainly something to consider before making a Pacers-Celtics prediction.
Article Continues Below
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
Boston has struggled in recent games but is still firmly in the elite tier of NBA teams. The Celtics have the most potent offense in the league as they rank first in both scoring and offensive rating. They are similarly a strong defensive team, ranking 13th in points allowed and eighth in defensive rating. The one area they've struggled is on the glass with ranks of 20th in rebound differential and 21st in rebound rate. Boston listed guard Marcus Smart as questionable and Grant Williams as probable due to illnesses.
If Boston is going to cover tonight, they need to get their offense humming again. Despite still having the strongest statistical resume in the league, their offense has sputtered in recent games. They're averaging just 104.6 PPG over their last five which would be the lowest number in the league over the entire season.
That offensive production starts with their two incredible wings. Jayson Tatum has certainly not been the problem lately as he's averaged 27.6 PPG over their cold stretch. While that's slightly under his season average of 30.2 PPG, the Celtics can't complain about that kind of production. The same can be said of Jaylen Brown who's averaged 25.4 PPG over that same stretch. Both guys have continued to be solid and at the very least provide Boston with a stable floor.
The biggest X-factor tonight for Boston has to be center, Robert Williams. Williams only recently made his season debut and has averaged just 17.5 minutes per game in his two outings. While it remains to be seen when his minutes will increase, his combination of shot-blocking and rebounding could prove vital regardless of how much run he gets.
Final Pacers-Celtics Prediction & Pick
While Indiana has played poorly as of late, the Celtics have been just as bad. The Pacers haven't lost by more than six points in over two weeks and I don't see that happening tonight. Ride the road ‘dogs with confidence.
Final Pacers-Celtics Prediction & Pick: Indiana Pacers +10 (-112)
