The Boston Celtics host a contest against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden. Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Wednesday, Apr. 1 and can be seen on FSN-IN and CSN-NE.
The Celtics played well in their last game, topping the Hornets 116-104 on Monday. Avery Bradley was the game’s leading scorer with 30 points on 12-for-23 shooting. The Pacers, meanwhile, are coming off a 104-99 win against the Mavericks on Sunday. C.J. Miles led the game in scoring by registering 28 points on 9-for-12 shooting.
George Hill has upped his play over the last five games for the Pacers, averaging 21.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.0 block, and 2.0 three-pointers.
The Celtics lead the season series against the Pacers two games to one, including a 93-89 win the last time these two teams met. In the loss, Hill led all scorers with 30 points.
The odds for Boston and Indiana are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Celtics come into this game 33-41 Straight Up (SU) and 42-32 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 21-23 SU and 25-19 ATS against the Eastern Conference. Boston is one of the most disciplined teams in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.82.
In the other locker room, the Pacers have 32-41 SU and 38-32-3 ATS records. Against the Eastern Conference, Indiana is 23-22 SU and 24-19-2 ATS. The Pacers average 97.3 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 105.5 points per game during that span. The Pacers have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the league at .436. Defensive rebounding is an area where Indiana has excelled. The Pacers average 32.8 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the best in the league.
With the Celtics’ last win against Indiana, they evened up the head-to-head record over the last 10 meetings, 5-5 SU. On the other hand, the Celtics hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3. Indiana held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times, while Boston was never able to do so in their most recent 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – BOS, ATS Winner – BOS
Notes
Boston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
Boston is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Boston’s last 17 games when playing Indiana.
Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Indiana.
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Boston’s last 22 games when playing at home against Indiana.
Boston is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Indiana.
Indiana is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Boston.
Both Indiana and Boston rank 24th in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Indiana scores 96.9 points per game, while Boston gives up 101.7.
Indiana scores an average of 96.1 points per away game (ranked 23rd), while Boston gives up 100.7 points per home game (ranked 21st).
When giving up fewer than 100 points, the Indiana Pacers have a 25-17 record. When scoring fewer than 100 points, the Boston Celtics have an underachieving record of 9-22.
At 7-24, the Indiana Pacers have an abysmal record when their opponents score 100 points or more. The Boston Celtics are 24-19 when they hit the century mark.
The Pacers have an offensive rating of 100.5 (ranked 24th), while the Celtics rank 14th for their defensive rating of 102.1.
The Boston Celtics average a field goal percentage of 44.1% this season. The Indiana Pacers have a subpar record of 10-24 when opponents have a FG% of 44.1% or greater.
In comparison to the rest of the league, the Boston Celtics see similar results in both field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage, ranking 21st for both metrics. The Indiana Pacers also rank the same for both FG% and EFF%, coming in at 23rd.
Boston makes an average of 24.3 assists per game (ranked fifth), while Indiana makes 21.4 assists per game (ranked 17th).
The Pacers average 4.5 blocks per game (ranked 21st), while the Celtics rank last in the league with just 3.6.
The Boston Celtics are a top-15 offensive rebounding team, currently ranked 11th for the season. The Indiana Pacers rank near the very top (fifth) in defensive rebounding.
The Boston Celtics average 8.0 steals per game. When giving up 7 or more steals, the Indiana Pacers have a losing record (14-31) this season.
