David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 2
The Indiana Pacers are looking to tie the series when they visit the Boston Celtics on Thursday night at TD Garden.
The Pacers are here to win
The Indiana Pacers came to Boston for Game 1 of the conference finals only two days after they defeated the New York Knicks in Game 7 on the road. They put up a hell of a fight against the Celtics and were so close to winning the opening game of the series. All five starters scored in double digits for the Pacers, led by Tyrese Haliburton with 25 points and 10 assists and Pascal Siakam with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
The Celtics are the main favorite to win the championship
The Boston Celtics had the best regular-season record and the easiest road to reach the conference finals of the four teams left in the playoffs. However, they almost spilled the home court advantage in the opening game of the series. The Celtics were down late in regulation when Jaylen Brown tied the game, and then the Celtics won 133-128 in overtime. Jayson Tatum was the best player on the Celtics with 36 points and 12 rebounds, followed by Jrue Holiday with 28 and Brown with 26.
Betting Trends
The Celtics are 8-1 SU in their last 8 games overall, 11-1 SU in their last 11 home games against Indiana, and 18-2 SU in their last 20 games overall. The Celtics are 10-5 ATS in the last 15 Thursday games played at home. They have played over the total point line in 5 of their last 7 games overall, 13 of the last 19 games against Indiana, 15 of the last 20 games against teams from the Eastern Conference, and 7 of the last 9 games against teams from the Central Division. The Pacers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games overall, 4-11 SU in their last 15 games against the Celtics, and 1-5 SU in their last 6 games on the road. Indiana is 6-4 ATS in the last 10 games against Boston and 10-5 ATS in the last 15 games played on Thursday. They have gone over the total point line in 15 of their last 20 games overall, 13 of the last 18 games against teams from the Eastern Conference, and 11 of the last 14 games played in May.
Prediction and Conclusion
The opening game of the Celtics vs. Pacers series was a true classic. The Pacers came ready for a fight and almost won the opening game on the road. The Celtics were slightly better and took the series lead in overtime. The Celtics are usually the team that sets the pace of the game, especially when they play at home, but that wasn’t the case in Game 2. Knowing that, the Celtics will make some defensive adjustments and will have more control in Game 2. They are 8.5 favorites going into this one, and unlike the first game of the series, they will win comfortably, covering the given spread.
