Pacers vs Celtics Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Wednesday, December 21st

Check out our free Pacers vs Celtics pick and preview for this NBA game in Boston. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Pacers vs Celtics NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics
Where: Boston at TD Garden
Date: Wednesday, December 21st
Betting Odds BOS -10, IND +364 | BOS -486 O/U 233.0

The Pacers come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 15-16. So far, the team has gone 17-14-0 against the spread. The Pacers come into the game in the middle of a 2 game losing streak, losing these matchups by an average of -4.5 points per contest.

The Pacers are coming off a disappointing 109-106 loss to the Knicks. Going into the game, they were favored to win by 0 points. This was a tightly contested game throughout, as Indiana only trailed by 1 point going into halftime. In the loss, Buddy Hield led the team in scoring with 23 points on a field goal percentage of 56.2%.

So far, the Celtics have put together an overall record of 22-9, while going 17-13-1 vs the spread. Today, the Celtics will be looking to snap a 2 game losing streak. The team has lost these games by an average of -5.5 points per contest.

The Celtics are coming off a dissappointing 95-92 loss to the Magic. Going into the game, they were favored to win by 10 points. Boston was not able to turn things around in the 2nd half, as they trailed the Magic by 3 going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Jaylen Brown, as he contributed 24 points while hitting 40.0% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

Last season, the Celtics finished with the leg up in their head-to-head games vs Indiana, going 3-1. When they played the Pacers at home, they posted a mark of 2-0. Similar to their season-long average, the Pacers averaged 112.25 points per game vs the Celtics. Just like the Pacers, the Celtics maintained their usual level of scoring in head-to-head matchups, averaging 113.75 points per game vs Indiana. Spanning across the last 5 head-to-head matchups, the Pacers and Celtics have been competitive, with an average margin of victory sitting at just -2 points per game. This has resulted in a 3-2 ATS record for Indiana. Indiana and Boston averaged a combined 226 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 4-1.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

Through 31 games, the Pacers are averaging 114.6 points per contest, placing them 13th in the NBA. In terms of pace, the Pacers are on the top units in the NBA, averaging 100.9 possessions per game. Despite this up-tempo style of basketball, the unit is still a below average group in made fields goals per contest, averaging just 40.7 made shots per game.

Currently, the Pacers defense is ranked 26th in points allowed. So far, opposing teams are averaging 114.94 points per game vs the unit.

Point-Guard Tyrese Haliburton currently leads the Pacers at 19.5 points per game. For the season, he is 101st in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 16.8% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Haliburton is averaging 4.0 boards and 10.7 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 12th ranked defense at defending point-guards. Bennedict Mathurin enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 31 games, he is averaging 17.9 and is 176th in the league in player efficiency rating.

Boston will look to continue with their strong offensive play, as they are averaging 118.2 points per game (1st). The Celtics come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 16.0 made 3’s per game. A key to the teams offensive success is their ability to avoid turning the ball over. So far, Boston is ranked 6th in fewest turnovers per game.

Defensively, the Celtics are one of the top performing units in the league, giving up 104.48 points per contest (1st).

This season, the Celtics offense has primarily worked through Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown who are 1st and 2nd on the team in scoring. In his 29 games, Tatum is 6th in the NBA at 30.2 points per game. So far, him and Brown have accounted for 47% of the team’s field goal attempts while combining to average 56.599999999999994 points per contest. In addition to sitting 2nd on the team in scoring, Jaylen Brown is grabbing 7.4 rebounds for Boston to go along with 3.5 assists.