Boston Wants to Keep Building Momentum
Recently, the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics have underperformed. The Pacers have dropped out of the Eastern Conference play-in, sitting in 11th, while the Celtics remain No.2. They will meet on Friday, with sportsbooks leaning toward a rejuvenated Celtics win.
On Wednesday, the Pacers beat the Toronto Raptors 118-114, with rookie Andrew Nembhard having 25 points and 10 assists. The Celtics closed out a six-game road trip on Tuesday by beating the Sacramento Kings 132-109, putting up an impressive performance against a top team.
Pacers Offensive Uptick
At the moment, Indiana relies heavily on its offense to win games. That is understandable with how good they have been on that end. Over the last 15 games, they have an offensive rating of 119.2, the fifth best.
More recently, the offensive production has slightly fallen off due to Tyrese Haliburton missing six games. He has been the offense’s engine, leading the team in points and assists per game. His absence has come at a difficult time, with Indiana struggling to keep its NBA playoff odds alive 1½ games from the play-in.
However, in those six games, the Pacers have also had eight players averaging over 10 points per game. Andrew Nembhard had three 20-point nights, including his big game against the Raptors. The balance on offense has kept Indiana in a solid position waiting for Haliburton to return.
Andrew Nembhard SHOWED OUT in the Pacers’ close win vs. the Raptors 🔥
25 points
10 assists11-of-17 FG
3-of-5 3PT pic.twitter.com/lMcjFZUhKu— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 23, 2023
The issues on defense remain a problem. During the last 15 games, the Pacers have the second-worst defensive rating, making them a difficult team for NBA picks, not knowing if the defense can do enough to cover.
Celtics’ First Step Back
The Celtics have remained one of the top teams in the East but have since fallen out of the No.1 seed, now in a battle with the Philadelphia 76ers for the second spot. Much of that is due to this interesting slump that the team is on, surrounded by NBA news.
It all started when head coach Joe Mazzulla had the interim tag removed on Feb. 17. The team has gone 8-6, with a net rating of 3.6, compared to 5.6 over the season, the second highest. That announcement was followed by star player Jayson Tatum saying the prior head coach, Ime Udoka, has been his favorite to play under. Now, seemingly another star, Jaylen Brown, just had a story about his uncertain future within the Celtics.
Jaylen Brown on remaining in Boston long term:
“I don’t know. As long as I’m needed. It’s not up to me. We’ll see how they feel about me over time and I feel about them over time. Hopefully, whatever it is, it makes sense. But I will stay where I’m wanted. I will stay where I’m… pic.twitter.com/eDcyKaf91J
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) March 21, 2023
Not all of Boston’s struggles can be connected to the off-court question marks, but they seem to have some effect. Injuries have plagued the team, with crucial players missing time and Tatum’s stats decreasing from MVP levels to more of his regular production since the All-Star break.
However, in the game against the Kings, something seemed to click. The defense reached a new level holding one of the top offenses to under 110 points, with Tatum and Brown going off for a combined 63.
Pacers vs Celtics Game Injuries
Pacers vs Celtics Head-to-Head
This will be the third and final game of the season between these teams, with the Pacers and Celtics splitting the first two. Both teams’ wins came on the road, with Indiana covering a large spread in each. The last game went into overtime on Feb.23, with both offenses showing their scoring ability, finishing 142-138.
Pacers vs Celtics Game Information
- Game: Pacers (33-40) vs Celtics (50-23)
- Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
- Day/Time: Friday, March 24, 7:00 p.m. EST
- Pacers vs Celtics Live stream: NBA Game Pass
Pacers vs Celtics Betting Lines
Pacers vs Celtics Picks and Prediction
Neither the Pacers nor the Celtics have been great in NBA lines over the last 10 games. Both have been averaging 5-5 straight up and against the spread (ATS).
The line is set up for the Celtics to win by a lot, which might be possible given how they are getting healthy and trending in the right direction after facing the Kings. The Pacers could also be without key offensive players, lowering their chances to cover.
The Boston Celtics are listed at -750 in our Vegas NBA odds. This means that if you wager $100 on the Celtics, you have a chance to win $13. The Indiana Pacers is +520, offering a chance to win $520 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Boston Celtics an 88.24% chance to win, with the Indiana Pacers at 16.13%.
Pacers vs Celtics Trends
Pacers vs Celtics Edge
Pacers vs Celtics Results
Pacers vs Celtics Game Summary
Celtics vs Pacers Previous Game (Feb 23, 2023)
The Boston Celtics have held the best record in the NBA for most of the season, but the gap is minimal as they emerge from the All-Star break. Boston has a half-game lead on Milwaukee in the East and Denver is just a game behind the Celtics for the overall best mark. Jayson Tatum, fresh off his All-Star Circus – ahem – Game MVP, will try to keep them there when they return to action Thursday at Indiana.
The Pacers will be playing their final home game before their schedule fills up with road dates, making this game a big one for a team that limped into the break. Read on for more information to prepare you for some online gambling.
We think you can thread the needle here if you so desire. The Pacers need to be competitive, as they are desperate to stay in playoff contention and face a daunting road ahead. They’ve also defeated the Celtics already in Boston. So take them to cover a pretty wide home underdog spread, but expect the Celtics to win a close one.
If that seems too risky to bet online, go for the under. Both teams will have some rust to shake off, and there could be some clunky moments.
