The Indiana Pacers will travel to Massachusetts to take on the Boston Celtics, who are riding a three-game losing streak. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a prediction and pick about the Pacers-Celtics game in what could possibly be a playoff preview.
The Pacers are 15-15 and in fourth in the Eastern Conference and the Celtics are 15-17 and ninth in the East. Nate Bjorkgren's team is 4-6 in their past 10 games and Brad Stevens team is 3-7 in their last 10 and has found himself on the hot seat.
Here's how sportsbooks have the odds for the Pacers-Celtics game.
NBA Odds: Pacers-Celtics Odds
Indiana Pacers +2.5 (-110)
Boston Celtics -2.5 (-110)
Over 219 points (-110)
Under 219 points (-110)
Why the Pacers Could Cover the Spread
These two teams have faced each other twice this season in Dec. 2020 and split the pair of matchups. However, these teams are much different from back then. The Pacers don't have TJ Warren or Victor Oladipo and the Celtics don't have Marcus Smart.
The Pacers have been carried by Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis, who was just named an All-Star replacement to Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. Myles Turner has been terrific defensively and Doug McDermott recently returned from injury.
Besides those four, the rest of this Pacers' squad is subpar at best, at least until Caris LeVert returns. However, they have found a way to stay afloat at .500 and largely due to the solid play of the Pacers' starters.
Brogdon is one of the most under-appreciated players in the league and Sabonis has been terrific and, simply put, the Celtics don't have anybody who can guard the Pacers duo of Turner and Sabonis.
The Pacers lost by four to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday and the Celtics have looked like one of the worst teams in the league over the past few weeks.
Brogdon should put up 20 points and Sabonis will have a monster game against the Celtics bigs, which features Tristan Thompson.
Why the Celtics Could Cover the Spread
They haven't been playing well lately, and that's an understatement. Boston lost on Wednesday to the Atlanta Hawks by 15 and the All-Star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown played poorly.
Tatum and Brown combined to shoot just 10-of-36 for 30 points combined and have lost three straight and six of their past eight games in a downward spiral towards the bottom half of the East.
However, Tatum and Brown won't shoot like that again, hopefully. Coach Stevens has his hands full and has been the center of the hot seat as far as coaches are concerned.
The Celtics are determined to right the ship and the duo of Brown and Tatum should have huge games as the only glimmer of hope this Boston team has until Smart returns or until Danny Ainge brings somebody else on board, either via trade or buyout market.
Final Celtics-Pacers Prediction & Pick
Ultimately, the Celtics have looked bad for the entire month of February and it doesn't look like it gets any better against the Pacers. Nobody in green can match up with Sabonis and Brogdon is the most consistent player on the floor on any given night. The Celtics and Stevens will have to wait another day to get a victory and hope they don't fall further down the standings in the East.
PREDICTION: Indiana Pacers 116, Boston Celtics 101 (Pacers +2.5)
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