The Boston Celtics will be at home in TD Garden when they take on the Indiana Pacers to open the First Round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Boston opened as a 7-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 209.5 points. Action gets underway at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 14, 2019, and it can be seen on TNT.
Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics Free Preview
These two teams have already met four times this season, with the Celtics winning two of them. In the most recent game, Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 22 points and the Celtics defeated the Pacers 117-97, covering as 1.5-point favorites. He also put up seven rebounds. The two teams combined for 214 points, hitting the projected point total. Making free throws was one of Boston’s biggest strengths. They were 14-16 (87.5 percent), while the Pacers were just 11-19 (57.9 percent).
Ball security could play a significant role in this meeting. Boston commits the fourth-fewest miscues in the NBA (turnover percentage of 12.2 percent), while the ball-hawking defense of Indiana forces the second-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 15.0 percent).
In terms of the O/U total, these teams are complete opposites. Games involving Indiana have gone under 57.3 percent of the time, while 56.1 percent of Boston games have gone over. Both teams have decent straight up (SU) records (48-34 for Indiana; 49-33 for Boston), but the Pacers hold a slight edge against the spread (ATS). Indiana is 40-41-1 ATS, while the Celtics are 38-42-2.
Pacers vs. Celtics Odds Prediction
NBA Prediction: SU Winner – Pacers, ATS Winner – Pacers, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
The Celtics rank second in steals allowed per game (6.8) while the Pacers rank 12th (7.4).
Indiana ranks 10th in second chance points per game (13.4) while Boston ranks 16th in second chance points allowed per game (13.5).
Boston accounts for 16.2 fast break points per game, which ranks seventh in the NBA. Indiana ranks 16th in fast break points allowed per game (14.0).
Indiana ranks fourth in points allowed in the paint per game (44.8) while Boston ranks fifth (46.0).
On the road, Indiana is 17-23-1 ATS with 21 unders and 20 overs.
Boston is 20-21 ATS at home with 25 overs and 16 unders.
When allowing under 100 points, Indiana is 25-3 and Boston is 16-4.
The Celtics are 49-24 when they score more than 100 points, while the Pacers are 43-17.
The Celtics rank fifth in assists per game (26.3) while the Pacers rank 12th in assists allowed per game (24.5).
Boston ranks seventh in three pointers attempted per game (34.5) while Indiana ranks 29th (25.4).
The Celtics rank second in blocks allowed per game (3.9) while the Pacers rank 19th (5.2).
The Pacers rank third in points off turnovers per game (19.0) while the Celtics rank fifth (18.1).
Indiana ranks fifth in rebounds allowed per game (43.7) while Boston ranks 22nd (45.9).
Bettings Trends:
Boston is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 pushes in its last five games.
Over its last five outings, Indiana is 3-2 ATS with 2 overs, 2 unders and 1 push.
The Celtics’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.6, up from 4.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Pacers have scored an average of 109.4 points per game (1.4 above their season average) and allowed an average of 110.0 points per game (5.3 above their season average).
