Indiana Pacers (55-43) vs Boston Celtics (74-20)
Game Info: Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 8:30 pm (Gainbridge Fieldhouse)
Betting Odds: Indiana Pacers +7 / Boston Celtics -7 --- Over/Under: 222.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers meet Saturday in Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Here’s a Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Prediction.
Boston Celtics Betting Preview
The Boston Celtics have won 5 straight games and look to take a 3-0 series lead. The Celtics are 4-0 SU on the road in these NBA playoffs. The Boston Celtics are averaging 111.7 points on 48.4 percent shooting and allowing 100.4 points on 46.4 percent shooting. Jayson Tatum is averaging 25.2 points and 10.2 rebounds, while Jaylen Brown is averaging 24.8 points and 6.5 rebounds. Derrick White is the third double-digit scorer and Jrue Holiday is grabbing 5 rebounds. The Boston Celtics are shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc and 80.1 percent from the free throw line. The Boston Celtics are allowing 34.4 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 44.3 rebounds per game.
Indiana Pacers Betting Preview
The Indiana Pacers have lost 5 of their last 9 games and need a win to give themselves a shot at the series. The Pacers are 6-0 SU at home in these NBA playoffs. The Indiana Pacers are averaging 114.9 points on 51 percent shooting and allowing 113.3 points on 47.3 percent shooting. Pascal Siakam is averaging 21.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 18.7 points and 4.8 rebounds. Myles Turner is the third double-digit scorer and Andrew Nembhard is grabbing 3.1 rebounds. The Indiana Pacers are shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc and 73.2 percent from the free-throw line. The Indiana Pacers are allowing 36.8 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 40.9 rebounds per game.
Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Injury Report
The Pacers will remain without Bennedict Mathurin, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury and hasn’t played since March 5. Tyrese Haliburton is questionable with a leg injury he suffered in game 2 and kept him out for much of the second half. Kristaps Porzingis continues to deal with a calf injury and hasn’t played since April 29. Porzingis is expected to return by game 4 of this series. Xavier Tillman is questionable for the Celtics with a personal issue.
Why the Indiana Pacers will win
- The Pacers have won each of their last 11 home games.
- The Celtics have lost each of their last four Eastern Conference Finals road games against Central Division opponents.
- The Pacers have covered the spread in seven of their last eight games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse following a loss.
- The Celtics have failed to cover the spread in 12 of their last 15 Eastern Conference Finals games following a win.
Indiana Pacers Player Facts
- Aaron Nesmith ranks 4th in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for 3P% (41.9%) this season.
- Andrew Nembhard ranks 17th amongst qualified Forwards for assists per game (4.1) this season.
Boston Celtics Player Facts
- Jrue Holiday ranks 2nd in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for 3P% (42.9%) this season.
- Derrick White is one of only four qualified players in the league averaging at least 1.0 threes, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Pacers rank 1st in the league for field goal percentage this season (50.7%).
- The Pacers rank 30th in the league for opponent field goal percentage this season (49.6%).
- The Celtics rank 1st in the league for opponent blocks per game this season (3.7).
- The Celtics rank 1st in the league for turnovers per game this season (11.9).
Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Prediction
This line tells me that oddsmakers are expecting Tyrese Haliburton to sit out. At the time of this writing, Haliburton was listed as questionable with a hamstring injury he reaggravated, and he also had X-rays on his chest. Not great. With all that said, the Pacers are still unbeaten at home in these playoffs and still have enough scoring to give themselves a shot. Let's not forget Haliburton has been playing hurt to begin with and there's been some games where he wasn't much of a factor offensively and the Pacers still competed. And while his offense would be missed, Haliburton is a liability defensively, so maybe there's a trade-off if he does sit.
The Celtics have also failed to cover 4 of their last 6 games as favorites of 7 or more points. With or without Haliburton, the Pacers can hang in this game at home. Give me the points.
Randy’s Pick Indiana Pacers +7
AUTHOR: Randy Chambers
