The Boston Celtics (64-18) travel to face off against the Indiana Pacers (47-35) on Saturday, May 25th. This game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and televised on ABC. The Celtics are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pacers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pacers. Tip-off is set for 8:30 ET.

Celtics vs Pacers

The Celtics picked up a 126-110 win at home over the Pacers in the most recent game of this series. Boston was favored by 8.5 points heading into the game, and they covered the spread with a 16-point win. The over/under line for the game was 225.5 points, and the teams combined for 236 points.

Offensively, the Celtics shot the ball well in the win, making 53.4% of their field goals and 40.5% of their threes. Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 40 points, and he also knocked down four threes. Pascal Siakam had 28 points for the Pacers. Boston outscored Indiana in each of the final three quarters, and the 33 points they scored in the 4th was their highest of the game.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

Coming into the game, the Celtics are the NBA’s second-ranked scoring offense, at 120.6 points per game. Their production has been even better on the road this season, at 116.9 points per contest, which is the third-best mark in the league. Boston is also the league leader in three-point shooting percentage, at 38%, and they are averaging 16.5 made threes per game, which is also the best in the NBA.

Jayson Tatum is averaging 30 points and 10.4 rebounds in his last five games. In these games, he averaged 5.8 assists per game. Jaylen Brown has hit 43.5% of his threes in his last five games, averaging 26.4 points per game in that stretch on 56.8% shooting. Jrue Holiday is averaging 18 points and 6.4 assists in his last five games, while hitting 53.6% of his threes.

Pacers Offense Breakdown

Indiana comes into the game as the league’s top-scoring offense, averaging 123.3 points per game. They have been even better at home, putting up 124.7 points per contest. The Pacers are also near the top of the league in pace, averaging 101.2 possessions per game. In terms of field goal percentage, Indiana is the top-ranked team, hitting 50% of their shots from the field.

Pascal Siakam has averaged 23.8 points per game over his last five games while hitting 56% of his shots from the field. Myles Turner has hit 58.5% of his shots in his last five games and 57.1% of his threes, leading to an average of 16.2 points. Tyrese Haliburton averaged 17.8 points and 7.6 assists in his last five games.

Celtics Team Defense

The Boston Celtics have been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA this season, allowing just 108.1 points per game. That mark is good for 3rd in the league. They have been able to maintain that level of play on the road, where they have given up just 108.9 points per contest (3rd).

One of the keys to their success has been their ability to defend the three-point line. On the season, they are allowing opponents to shoot just 34.8% from deep (15th). In terms of made threes allowed per game, they are also 15th at 12.8.

Over their last five games, the Celtics have been even stingier, allowing just 106.2 points per contest (8th). During that stretch, opponents have hit 36.3% of their threes.

Pacers Team Defense

When it comes to defense, the Pacers have struggled this season, ranking 27th in the league in points allowed per game at 119.2. This has been a trend both at home (116.9 PPG, 25th) and on the road (121.3 PPG, 28th).

Indiana has done a good job defending the three-point line this season, ranking 1st in three-point shooting percentage allowed (36.6%). However, opponents have been able to get to the free-throw line at a high rate, making 25.6 free throws per game (30th).

Overall, opposing offenses have scored more than their season average in 76.8% of games vs. the Pacers. In terms of rebounding, Indiana ranks 28th in the league at 41.5 rebounds per game.

Key Players For The Celtics And Pacers

Our projections for today’s game indicate that Jayson Tatum will be the primary scorer for the Celtics, with 27 points and going 9/19 from the field. Throughout this season, his average stands at 26.9 points per game, along with 8.1 rebounds.

On the opposing side, we anticipate Pascal Siakam to be the top scorer for the Pacers. Our projection has him finishing the game with 22, and he is expected to secure 7 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 53.6% and is averaging 21.7 points per contest.

Celtics vs Pacers Trends

• The Celtics are 2-1 ATS in their three last road games and 3-0 straight-up.
• In their last three home games, Indiana has averaged 122 points per game while allowing 122. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.
• As the betting underdog, the Pacers have an ATS mark of just 2-3 in their last five games. Indiana posted a straight up mark of 1-4 in these matchups.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Celtics have a straight up record of 9-1. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.

Celtics vs Pacers Prediction

The Pacers come in as the underdog at +7, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 222.5, and our model predicts the Celtics and Pacers to score a combined 228 points. We recommend betting on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.