The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers meet for the second time this season on Tuesday night. Last time the two teams met, it came down to the last possession, and Indiana came out with the win. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Celtics-Pacers prediction and pick.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Celtics-Pacers odds.
NBA Odds: Celtics-Pacers Odds
Boston Celtics +1 (-105)
Indiana Pacers -1 (-115)
Over 218.5 Points (-110)
Under 218.5 Points (-110)
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
The Celtics have had a mediocre start to the 2020-21 season. After triumphing over the Milwaukee Bucks on opening night, they have dropped two straight.
The loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Christmas was eye-opening, a 28-point blowout in Kyrie Irving's return to the Garden.
The Pacers matchup was a slugfest, and a missed Jayson Tatum three-pointer at the buzzer decided the game. Now, the C's get a rematch against their tough Eastern Conference opponent.
Going into this game, the Celtics have an advantage in two facets: coaching and desperation.
Brad Stevens is a perennial coach of the year candidate. With a game under his belt and an off day to analyze the loss, Stevens should make the appropriate tweaks to his game plan.
Additionally, the Celtics need to win this game. Starting off 1-3 would be a huge black mark for a team looking to contend this year, and the C's know it.
Behind a red hot Jaylen Brown (averaging 26 PTS and 3.7 AST), the Celtics should come out fired up from the tip. If the game is close in the closing minutes, it would be surprising to see the Celtics fail again.
Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
Indiana has come out the gates firing on all cylinders in the 2020-'21 season. The team stands at 3-0, with two blowout wins over cellar dwellers in the East (Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks) and the tightly contested victory over Boston.
In even better news for Pacers fans, reinforcements are coming. Victor Oladipo returns to the Pacers lineup after missing the last matchup due to injury management.
Though the Celtics might have an edge over the Pacers in roster talent, it's not a huge gap. This has been evident in their previous five matchups.
The Celtics are 3-2 over the Pacers in the last five, but the average margin of victory has been 4.2 PTS. The Pacers have covered the spread in four out of those five games.
It seems like whenever these two teams play, it's a nail-biter. The Pacers are the hotter team right now, playing on their home court.
With the return of Oladipo, we could see Indiana spurred to a second straight win over their rival.
Final Celtics-Pacers Prediction & Pick
The Celtics are a serious contender to win the Eastern Conference crown. I can't see the C's losing back-to-back games to a team where they have a slight, but still clear, edge. Brad Stevens will rally the troops tonight, and Bostons should pull out a tight victory.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: BOS 110, IND 104
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