The Indiana Pacers (47-35) travel to face off against the Boston Celtics (64-18) on Tuesday, May 21st. This game will be played at TD Garden in Boston and televised on ESPN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Pacers vs Celtics

The Pacers closed out their series vs. the Knicks with a 130-109 win. This win was on the road, and it gave them a 4-3 series win over the Knicks. The teams combined for 239 points, which was 32.5 points above the over/under line of 206.5 points.

Indiana’s offense was led by Tyrese Haliburton, who scored 26 points and hit six threes. As a team, the Pacers hit 67.1% of their shots and 54.2% of their threes. Andrew Nembhard also added 20 points for Indiana.

The Celtics are coming off a 113-98 win at home over the Cavaliers. With the win, they closed out the series in five games, winning the series 4-1. The over/under line for the game was 205 points, and the teams combined for 211 points, surpassing the line by six points.

Offensively, the Celtics were led by Jayson Tatum, who finished with 25 points, nine assists, and 10 rebounds. Tatum shot 56.2% from the field and hit three threes. Al Horford added 22 points and 15 rebounds while hitting six threes.

Pacers Offense Breakdown

Indiana comes into the game as the NBA’s top-scoring team, at 123.3 points per game. Their scoring average on the road is even better, at 119.4 points per contest. The Pacers are a high-paced team, averaging 101.2 possessions per game, which is the 5th highest mark in the league.

Looking at Tyrese Haliburton’s last five games, he has hit 54.4% of his shots from the field, leading to an average of 21.8 points per game. In these games, he also hit 4 threes per game. Pascal Siakam has averaged 21.4 points per game in his last five games, while his season average is 21.7 points per game. Across his last five games, Myles Turner is averaging 3.1 blocks per game.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

Offensively, the Celtics are averaging 120.6 points per game, which is the second-best mark in the league. They have been even better at home, with an average of 121.5 points per contest. Boston leads the NBA in three-point shooting percentage and are also first in three-pointers made per game.

Jayson Tatum is averaging 26.8 points per game over his last five games, while Jaylen Brown is at 23.4 points per game in that stretch. Brown has hit 59.2% of his shots in his last five games, while Tatum’s field goal percentage is 44.1%. So far this season, Tatum has been a better three-point shooter than Brown.

Pacers Team Defense

So far this season, the Pacers have been one of the worst teams in the league in terms of points allowed per game, ranking 26th at 118.9. However, over their last five games, they have been much better, giving up just 105.6 points per contest, which is 8th best in the NBA during that span.

Indiana has done a great job of defending the three-point line all season long, allowing the fewest made threes per game in the league at just 10.8. Opponents have also hit just 36.6% of their attempts from deep against the Pacers, which is tops in the NBA.

One area where they have struggled defensively this season is at the free-throw line, giving up 25.6 made free throws per game, which is 30th in the league. Over their last five games, they have done a better job in this area, allowing just 19 made free throws per contest.

Celtics Team Defense

The Boston Celtics have been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA this season, ranking 3rd in points allowed per game at 107.9. They have been especially tough at home, giving up just 106.9 points per game, which is 4th best in the league.

Despite their strong defensive numbers, opponents have scored less than their season average in 76.8% of games vs. the Celtics. One area where opponents have had some success is from beyond the arc, as they have made more threes than their season average in 53.7% of games vs. Boston.

This season, the Celtics have been excellent at getting defensive rebounds, ranking 1st in the NBA. They have also been one of the best shot-blocking teams, ranking 2nd in blocked shots per game.

Key Players For The Pacers And Celtics

In today’s game, we anticipate Pascal Siakam leading the scoring for the Pacers, contributing 21 points while shooting 9/16 from the field. During this season, he is delivering an average of 21.7 points per game, along with 7.1 rebounds.

As for Boston, Jayson Tatum is projected to be the primary scorer for the Celtics. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 26, and adding 8 rebounds. This season, he has put together a field goal percentage of 47.1%, and he is contributing 26.9 points per game on average.

Pacers vs Celtics Trends

• Through their last five road contests, the Pacers offense has averaged 110 points per game while allowing an average of 119. Indiana posted an overall record of 1-4 while going 2-3 ATS.
• Across their last three home contests, Boston has been good against the spread posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 3-0, while averaging 105 points per game.
• In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Pacers have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
• Against the spread, the Celtics have put together of 2-3 in their last five games as the betting favorite. In these same games, they went 4-1 straight up.

Pacers vs Celtics Prediction

As the underdogs with a spread of +10, we recommend going with the Pacers on the point spread. We not only see them covering the spread but also have a strong likelihood of winning this one outright, especially if you’re seeking a higher payout on the moneyline.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 221, and our model predicts the Pacers and Celtics to score a combined 231 points. We recommend betting on the over.

---

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

---

* 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.