| Commercial Content. 21+. Action Network is the official betting partner of the Chicago Tribune.
After a grueling seven-game series win over the Knicks, the Pacers had just two days to prepare for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics, meanwhile, have been awaiting the winner of the Pacers-Knicks series for nearly a week, finishing off the Cavaliers in five games.
With a double-digit spread favoring the Celtics in Game 1, the expectation is for Boston to continue steamrolling through the playoffs.
Let’s break down the matchup and look for value in the betting odds.
Pacers vs. Celtics odds
- Spread: Pacers +10 (-108), Celtics (-10 (-112)
- Moneyline: Pacers +350, Celtics -455
- Total: Over 222 (-110), Under 222 (-110)
Odds via DraftKings
Pacers outlook
The Pacers left a lasting impression on the Madison Square Garden crowd in Game 7 with an historic scoring performance. They shot a remarkable 67.1% overall, setting a new record for the highest field goal percentage in a playoff game in NBA history. In the first half, Indiana shot 76.3% (29-of-38) from the field and 66.7% from 3-point range (8-of-12).
Indiana loves to push the pace, using less of the shot clock than any other team this season, according to Inpredictable.com. If Boston’s shots aren’t falling, the Pacers will have opportunities to get buckets in transition, which is critical against an elite Celtics halfcourt defense.
Tyrese Haliburton was tremendous in the Eastern Conference semifinals, finishing with 21.3 points per game on .538/.439/.800 shooting splits. With Kristaps Porzingis out of the lineup for Boston, expect the Celtics to operate primarily in drop coverage with Al Horford, which will open up shooting opportunities for Haliburton at the top of the key.
Celtics outlook
The Celtics have stormed through the postseason, winning both series 4-1, but it hasn’t been a great playoffs for Jayson Tatum. He’s scoring 24.3 points per game on 43% from the field and 28.1% from 3-point range. Those numbers are all down significantly from his regular-season production.
Miami and Cleveland doubled Tatum often and had elite defensive big men in Bam Adebayo and Evan Mobley who could counter his scoring. The Pacers don’t fit this profile, as they prefer to play straight up on defense, which led to them allowing the lowest rate of wide-open 3s in the NBA during the regular season.
The Pacers typically funnel shots to the rim, facing the highest field goal attempt rate inside 6 feet of the basket. The Celtics, however, led the NBA with 42.5 3-point attempts per game this season. That dichotomy should be fascinating to track throughout this series.
Either way, expect a big scoring game from Tatum, who averaged 32.5 points against the Pacers in the regular season on 35 minutes per game. He’s played 39.2 minutes per game so far in the playoffs, so we can expect even more output here.
Pacers vs. Celtics prediction & pick
Situationally, this spot certainly doesn’t favor Indiana. The Pacers had just one day off to recover after their Game 7 win over the Knicks. However, their shooting acumen and scoring prowess will make them live underdogs throughout this series.
Instead, I’ll target Tatum, who should produce big-time scoring numbers throughout the Eastern Conference Finals. You can currently find Tatum over 29.5 points at -102 odds on DraftKings, and I see that as a strong way to get some action down on Game 1.
Best bet: Jayson Tatum over 29.5 points (-102 at DraftKings)
Maximize your Pacers vs. Celtics action with our DraftKings promo code.
