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The Indiana Pacers travel to Boston on Wednesday to take on the Celtics at the TD Garden in a showdown between Eastern Conference leaders.
The Pacers are one of the hottest teams in the league right now and hold 3rd place in the East with their 27-13 record. Meanwhile, the Celtics were the favorites to win the LeBron-less Eastern Conference this season but are currently occupying the 5th spot with their 24-15 record. With just 4.5 games separating the Top 5 teams in the East, the conference is still a wide open field and the leaders need every win they can get, especially against each other.
Seven Wins In Eight Games
The Indiana Pacers held off the stubborn Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night to pick up their seventh win in their last eight games. But while the Pacers continued to climb the team standings, they were not happy with the way they played in Cleveland as they nearly blew a 23 point lead to the worst team in the NBA. On Tuesday, the Pacers need to play better if they are to continue their winning ways against the Boston Celtics.
Indiana is the league’s top defensive squad in terms of scoring defense as the Pacers allow a league-low 101.9 points per game. The Pacers are also ranked 9th with 25.4 assists per game and 23rd with 43.8 rebounds collected per game. Offensively, Indiana is ranked 22nd in the NBA in team scoring at 107.7 points per game.
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics 1/9/19
Moneyline Odds: Pacers +220, Celtics -260
Odds from betonline.ag as of 1/9/19
Sweeping The Homestand
The Boston Celtics head to this matchup looking to sweep their current four-game homestand. The Celtics have won three in a row at home, beating the Timberwolves, Mavericks and Nets by an average winning margin of 18.33 points. Boston has won six out of their last eight and look to surge ahead with the return of their key players.
The Celtics are ranked 12th in the NBA in team scoring at 111.9 points per game. Boston is also 6th in passing with 26.2 assists per game and 15th in rebounding with 45.2 boards per contest . The men in green are the 3rd best defensive team in the league when talking about scoring defense as the Celtics yield only 105.3 points per game.
Who Wins?
The Pacers are 6-1 SU in their last seven games played and Indiana is 5-2 SU in their last five road games. The Celtics are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games played. Boston is 14-5 SU in 19 home games played so far this season. Head to head, the Celtics are 6-4 SU in their last 10 meetings against the Pacers. Boston is also 16-7 SU in their last 23 home games against Indiana.
We know how good the Celtics are if they are playing at full strength and we know that they have been very solid at home this season. Indiana has also played well on the road this year but they may be at a disadvantage here because not only are the Pacers playing on the second of a back to back schedule, this will be their fourth game in six nights during this road trip. The Celtics meanwhile are just 6-4 in their last 10 games but have picked up three straight double-digit wins. Also, this is Boston’s fourth straight home game meaning they are well-rested as they have not traveled since last week.
I think Indiana gives Boston a good fight but in the end, fatigue plus Boston’s home court advantage and deeper roster will win this game for them.
We’re picking the Boston Celtics to beat the Indiana Pacers on 1/9/19.
Other Bets To Make
The Pacers are 10-5 ATS in their last 15 games played and Indiana is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games on the road. The Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last five games played and Boston is 13-6 ATS in their 19 home games played this season. Head to head, the Pacers are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings against the Celtics.
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics 1/9/19
Spread Odds: Pacers +6.5 (-110), Celtics -6.5 (-110)
Odds from betonline.ag as of 1/9/19
The Celtics have played well against their Eastern Conference rivals as they are 16-7 SU against the East this season. Likewise, Boston has played well against the spread in conference games, going 9-2 ATS against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston has also won its last three games, all at home, by an average winning margin of 18.33 points per game.
Prediction: Celtics -6.5
The total has gone over in 5 out of the last 5 games played by the Pacers but the under is 13-6 in Indiana’s last 19 road games. The total has gone over in 7 out of the last 9 games played by the Celtics and the over is 11-8 in Boston’s 19 home games played so far. Head to head, the total has gone under in 10 out of the last 14 games between the Pacers and Celtics. The under is also 5-1 in the last six meetings between these teams at the TD Garden.
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics 1/9/19
Over/Under Odds: Over 213 -110, Under 213 -110
Odds from betonline.ag as of 1/9/19
No question both teams can put up points on the scoreboard when they want to but in a high-profile game like this one, I think both teams will tighten up their defenses and engage each other in a playoff level game. And don’t forget that these teams are in the Top 3 in scoring defense with Indiana at #1 and Boston at #3. Don’t expect a shootout here. These teams will try to stop each other and win this game with playoff-type defense.
Prediction: Under 213.
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