Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Betting Prediction and Odds April 1
Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers betting preview for Friday, April 1. At the time of posting, Boston has opened as a 15-point home favorite over the road Pacers, with the total sitting at 226 points.
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| Friday, April 1 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Boston Celtics -15 vs Indiana Pacers |
| Total: | 226 Points |
| Game Time: | 7:40pm ET / 4:40pm PT |
| Arena: | TD Garden in Boston, MA |
| TV: | NBC Sports Boston |
Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Analysis
The Indiana Pacers travel to Boston for an Eastern Conference clash with the Celtics on Friday night. The Celtics will be looking to bounce back from two straight losses, the last one was a 106-98 loss at home to the Miami Heat.
The Pacers lost their last game at home to the Denver Nuggets by the score of 125-118 to extend their losing streak to five games.
Boston has recorded wins in two of the first three head-to-head matchups with the Pacers. They won consecutive meetings with the Pacers in December, 101-98 at home in overtime and 119-100 in Indiana.
The Pacers stole a victory at home 128-107 at the end of February. This game is the definition of two teams heading in completely opposite directions.
Season Can’t End Quick Enough For Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have lost five straight and are just 3-10 over their last 13 games. Their defense is being exploited on a nightly basis, allowing 120 points or more in 8 of those 13 games and 130+ in three of their last four contests.
In their latest loss against the Denver Nuggets, Buddy Hield led the team in scoring with 20 points. Tyrese Haliburton recorded 12 assists as one of the only bright spots in Indiana and has recorded 12 or more assists in five of his last six games.
The Pacers currently sit at 25-52 on the season and looking forward to the off-season at this point. Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson have both already been ruled out for Friday night’s game.
Malcolm Brogdon is questionable, but I’m assuming the Pacers can find a reason for him to sit out. The Pacers rank middle of the pack in scoring both on the season and over the last month.
Their defense has imploded, they rank 25th with 114 points allowed per game on the season. Over their last 15 games that has ballooned to 121.7 points allowed a game, ranking 27th in the league.
Celtics Move Forward Without Williams
The Boston Celtics had climbed all the way to first place in the Eastern Conference, before losing two straight and dropping to 4th place.
It’s worth noting that first loss against the Toronto Raptors was almost a victory despite missing Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams III. Williams will remain out indefinitely while undergoing knee surgery.
Good news is he is the only player listed on the Celtic injury report. In the most recent loss against the Miami Heat, Jaylen Brown led the team in scoring with 28 points.
Prior to their last two losses Boston was easily the hottest team in the league, winning 22 of 25 games. The Celtics have won with an outstanding defense that we could see take a step back without one of their anchors in Robert Williams III.
On the season, the Celtics have allowed the least points per game and have kept up recently, ranking 3rd over their last 15 games. The Celtic offense has also remained consistently in the middle of the pack.
Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers Prediction
At first glance you could mistake this spread for an April Fool’s joke, but yes this is an NBA spread. The Celtics are favored by 14.5 points with a total of 225.5. It makes sense considering how well Boston has played of late and the Pacers are in full tank mode.
It’s at the point where the Pacers would rather lose to get a better draft position. The Celtics are going to want to secure this victory as soon as possible.
They may just try and outscore them and take the foot off the pedal on defense. The Celts team total is 120.5 and the Pacers have been giving out 120 point games like candy. Good luck containing Tatum and Brown.
Prediction: Boston Celtics Team Total Over 120.5
NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Friday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
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Meet the Author
Andy Lang has lived in Indianapolis his whole life, and like most people from the Hoosier State, he became fascinated with motor sports. That interest in motor sports turned into a desire to make money off the sport through fantasy contests and sports betting. Like most, he took his lumps when he first got started, but now he is one of the most respected NASCAR bettors in the industry. Andy has expanded that sports betting experience to become profitable in a number of other sports, transforming this interest from a side hobby to a major source of income.
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