The Boston Celtics knocked down a franchise-record 24 3-pointers in Thursday’s 117-113 win over the previously unbeaten Milwaukee Bucks and will look to keep their high-octane offense going when they open a five-game road trip against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Sportsbooks opened the Celtics as 3.5-point road favorites with a total of 207.
- The road team is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings between the Celtics and Pacers.
- The UNDER is 7-3 in the Celtics' last 10 road games.
- The UNDER is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings between the Celtics and Pacers.
Celtics vs Pacers Game Center.
Celtics’ success from deep has been something to behold
The C’s have won four straight games entering tonight’s contest and rank third in the Eastern Conference at 6-2 SU as a result. The point total against Milwaukee was the Celtics’ highest of the season, as Kyrie Irving paced the squad with six 3-pointers. Shooting guard Jaylen brown sat out of the matchup with the Bucks due a foot injury and was questionable to play tonight as of this writing.
Indiana didn’t fare well against the lowly Chicago Bulls on Friday but recovered from an 18-point first-half deficit to record a 107-105 triumph - its fourth win in five games. Point guard Darren Collison drained the tie breaking jumper with 17.8 seconds left while scoring 14 points to record his fifth double-digit effort of the campaign. Shooting guard Victor Oladipo matched his season best of 25 points while notching 14 rebounds, the latter one shy of his career high.
Home court advantage hasn’t mattered in this series
When the Celtics and Pacers collide, it’s the visiting clubs that have been covering the spread. In the last seven meetings between Boston and Indiana, road teams are 5-2 ATS. When it comes to the total, the UNDER has been the hot bet. In the past 13 matchups between the squads, nine have gone below the closing total.
Dating back to last year, the Celtics haven’t been cashing spread bets on the road against good teams. Boston is 1-6 ATS in its previous seven games vs teams with winning records.
My pick: take the OVER
This one is likely going to be tight from start to finish, so I’m staying away from the spread and backing the OVER instead. While Indy’s offense didn’t look great against the Bulls, I expect them to bounce back at home, and the Celtics’ recent offensive tear has made them an OVER threat every time they step on the floor. Fireworks could be in store in Indianapolis, so take the OVER.
