The 6-seed Pacers travel to Boston to face the 1-seed Celtics on Tuesday night at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN. It’s Game 1 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals. Can the Pacers cover the 9.5-point spread as road underdogs? Keep reading for our Pacers vs. Celtics betting prediction.
The series is tied 0-0.
The Indiana Pacers went 47-35 straight up in the regular season and are 8-5 straight up in the postseason this year. The Pacers are 51-42-3 ATS this season.
The Boston Celtics went 64-18 straight up in the regular season and are 8-2 straight up in the postseason this year. The Celtics are 47-40-5 ATS this season.
Pacers vs. Celtics Matchup & Betting Odds
549 Indiana Pacers (+9.5) at 550 Boston Celtics (-9.5); o/u 220.5
8:00 p.m. ET, Tuesday, May 21, 2024
TD Garden, Boston, MA
TV: ESPN
Pacers vs. Celtics Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 60% of public bettors are currently backing the Pacers when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Indiana Pacers Daily Fantasy Spin
Pacers shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin will miss the rest of the season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He averaged 14.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game during the regular season. In Mathurin’s stead, Indiana has been starting second-year guard Andrew Nembhard.
Nembhard was excellent in his team’s Game 7 win over New York on Sunday afternoon. In that game, the Gonzaga alum logged 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and a steal. Andrew Nembhard is averaging 13.0 points and 4.8 assists per game in 13 postseason starts this year.
Boston Celtics Daily Fantasy Spin
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis won’t play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday. He’s still nursing a right calf strain that’s kept him out since April 29th. Boston has been using a combination of Al Horford and Luke Kornet to fill Porzingis’s minutes in the 6 games he’s missed.
Boston power forward Xavier Tillman is questionable to play on Tuesday due to personal reasons. Tillman is averaging 1.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in 3 playoff appearances for the Celtics this year.
Pacers vs. Celtics NBA Betting Trends
Indiana is 7-6 ATS in the playoffs this year.
Indiana is 25-17-2 ATS as an underdog this season.
Boston is 1-3 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
Boston is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against Indiana.
Pacers vs. Celtics NBA Prediction:
Indiana is coming off of a monster Game 7 road win over New York on Sunday. The Pacers shot the lights out to the tune of 67.1% from the field and 54.2% from three-point range. They were the better team than the Knicks in both Games 6 and 7 and they justifiably came out on top. In addition to that success, the Pacers have been a sneaky-good team against the number this season.
Indiana is 16-13-1 ATS as a road underdog and 37-27-1 in conference games this season. Furthermore, the Pacers are 36-25-3 ATS when playing on 1 day of rest and 37-33-3 ATS in non-division games this season. Boston hasn’t played since Wednesday, May 15th, so I could see the Celtics coming out with a bit of rust on Tuesday night. Conversely, Indiana is coming off two straight impressive double-digit wins when they were facing elimination. In a series that might wind up being closer than people think, I like the Pacers to cover on the road in Game 1.