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The Indiana Pacers will meet the Boston Celtics in a critical matchup for both teams. The Pacers got some revenge for the Celtics' four-game sweep in last year's playoffs, defeating the Celtics in overtime at the end of October. However, the Celtics have dominated the series with seven wins in their previous ten games. It has also been a typically high-scoring matchup, as the over has hit in seven of the last ten and six of the past seven. The Celtics hope to bounce back from a disappointing loss at the hands of their rival Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day, while the Pacers will be on their second night of a back-to-back as they face the Oklahoma City Thunder at home on Boxing Day. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Pacers-Celtics prediction and pick.
Here are the Pacers-Celtics NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pacers-Celtics Odds
Indiana Pacers: +12 (-110)
Moneyline: +500
Boston Celtics: -12 (-100)
Moneyline: -700
Over: 233 (-110)
Under: 233 (-110)
How To Watch Pacers vs. Celtics
Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT
TV: Fanduel Sports Network
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Pacers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Pacers entered the holiday break on a hot streak, which helped them maintain an eighth-place position in the Eastern Conference. They suffered a rough stretch over the beginning of their last ten games but finished strong with five consecutive wins. The most promising part of the winning streak was that four of the five wins came as an underdog, with surprising victories over the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and Golden State Warriors. Can the Pacers add the Celtics to their list of outright underdog wins? Or will the fatigue from playing two of the best teams on back-to-back nights catch up to them at TD Garden?
Why the Celtics Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Celtics are experiencing a mid-season slump, which isn't surprising given that they are the defending NBA Champions and started the year with few losses. They now sit second in the Eastern Conference with a 22-8 record but have lost four games in their last ten. Boston also extended its losing skid to three of the past four games when it lost a disappointing game to the 76ers on Christmas Day.
It is increasingly difficult to back the Celtics at their massive spreads, as they have covered just three of their past ten games. Their three losses over the past four games all came as nearly double-digit favorites, as they were 9.5-point favorites against the 76ers and Orlando Magic and 14.5-point favorites against the Chicago Bulls.
The Celtics' loss to the 76ers will not please them, but it could be the wake-up call they need to snap out of their funk and get back on the winning trail.
Final Pacers-Celtics Prediction & Pick
The Pacers covered the spread in six of their last seven matchups with the Celtics despite losing five of those games outright. Indiana has been playing some of their best basketball, and most bettors will take the Celtics here on the second night of a back-to-back for the Pacers. However, we'll take an alternate route here and pick the Pacers to keep this game close as they've done so many times. It's also been a problem for the Celtics, as they covered just one of their last five spreads.
Final Pacers-Celtics Prediction & Pick: Pacers +12 (-100)
