The Indiana Pacers (3-0) host the Boston Celtics (1-2) Tuesday for the second meeting between the two in three days. Tip-off at Bankers Life Fieldhouse will be at 7 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Celtics-Pacers NBA betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Celtics at Pacers: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:45 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Celtics -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | Pacers +100 (bet $100 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Celtics -1.5 (-105) | Pacers +1.5 (-115)
- Over/Under: 218.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Celtics at Pacers: Key Injuries
Celtics
- C Tacko Fall (eye) out
- SG Romeo Langford (wrist) out
- PG Kemba Walker (knee) out
Pacers
- SG Jeremy Lamb (knee) out
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Celtics at Pacers: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Pacers 112, Celtics 109
Money line (ML)
Let’s take the value with the PACERS (+100) as even-money underdogs at home. They just beat the Celtics 108-107 Sunday and covered the spread as 2.5-point underdogs.
PF Domantas Sabonis is leading Indiana with 24.3 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game. SG Victor Oladipo sat out Sunday’s contest for rest but should return with 22 points scored in each of his two games this season.
The Celtics have been struggling without Walker to start the season. F Jayson Tatum and SG Jaylen Brown are averaging 25.0 and 26.0 PPG, respectively, but no other player is in double digits and only PG Marcus Smart is averaging more than 4 assists per game (6.3 APG).
Boston will get right eventually and contend in the Eastern Conference, but it won’t start in a rematch against the balanced attack of Indiana.
Against the spread (ATS)
Take the insurance and go with the PACERS +1.5 (-115), though it’s not as rewarding as the money line play. It’ll serve us well to hedge against some potential late-game free throws. The two teams split last season’s head-to-head series 1-1 with both games played within a 5-point margin.
Over/Under (O/U)
Bet the OVER 218.5 (-110). Sunday’s contest saw a total of just 115 points scored, but the two meetings in the 2019-20 campaign saw totals of 139 and 125 points scored.
The fear is with the Celtics struggling to hold up their end of the bargain with Walker’s absence hurting ball movement, but Oladipo’s return to the lineup will provide a boost to the overall total.
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Also see:
- Does Boston need to run more offense through Jaylen Brown? (Celtics Wire)
- Pacers rumors (Hoops Hype)
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