BOSTON CELTICS VS INDIANA PACERS – ODDS & PREDICTIONS FOR JANUARY 8, 2024

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from Monday night’s slate features the Boston Celtics (28-7 SU, 18-15-2 ATS) taking on the Indiana Pacers (20-16 SU, 20-16 ATS).

The Celtics defeated the Pacers when these teams clashed just two days ago. Can the Pacers get back on track or will the Celtics roll to another convincing win?

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

• When: Monday, January 8, 2024 at 7:00 PM ET
  
• Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
  
• TV: AZ Family Sports Network and Bally Sports Sun

Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers Odds (Via DraftKings)

Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Celtics Shut Down The Pacers Again?

Boston Celtics Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 120.9 PPG – 5TH   
• Offensive Efficiency: 121.6 points per 100 possessions – 2ND     
• Scoring Defense: 110.1 PPG – 3RD       
• Defensive Efficiency: 110.7 points per 100 possessions – 2ND   

The Boston Celtics are rolling. They have produced eight victories in their last 10 decisions. They enter this matchup on a two-game winning streak. Even more important, they have the best record in the association. 

In their recent outing, they defeated the Pacers 118-101 on Saturday night. Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 38 points. He also collected 13 rebounds and handed out six assists.  On top of shooting 14-for-23 from the field, Tatum also knocked down eight of his 13 attempts from 3-point range. Jaylen Brown contributed 31 points and four rebounds. 

Boston got the job done at both ends of the floor. They shot 51 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc.  Defensively, the Celtics limited the Pacers to 41 percent shooting from the floor, including an abysmal 19 percent from deep. Boston also enjoyed a 56-38 advantage on the glass.

“(Indiana) is really good,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla told ESPN. “When we play connected basketball, with physical half-court defense and intentional, poised offense, we play better, and that’s kind of what we did.”

If the Celtics bring the same level of intensity from a defensive standpoint, they will more than likely beat the Pacers again in this two-game road set against the highest-scoring team in the league. 

Will The Pacers Avenge Their Previous Loss To The Celtics Just Two Days Ago?

Indiana Pacers Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 126.8 PPG – 1ST    
• Offensive Efficiency: 122.8 points per 100 possessions – 1ST      
• Scoring Defense: 124.2 PPG – 29TH    
• Defensive Efficiency: 120.2 points per 100 possessions – 26TH    

Despite the loss to the Celtics two days ago, the Pacers are still 7-3 in their last 10 outings. In the aforementioned defeat, Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench to score a team-high 20 points and he grabbed four rebounds as well. 

Tyrese Haliburton didn’t have a great shooting night (5-for-17 from the field), but he finished with 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and five steals. 

“We missed a lot of shots,” Haliburton said, via ESPN. “They’re a really good defensive team, but we shot a lot of shots that we like. Just didn’t capitalize on them.”

Indiana was within three points after 36 minutes of action. However, the Celtics pulled away in the final frame thanks to outscoring the Pacers by a 34-20 margin. 

While Indiana is the league’s top-scoring team, they will need to play well at both ends of the floor against a Celtics team that is clicking on all cylinders.  

Now, let us look at the all-important betting trends for both sides.

The Picks

The Spread

The Boston Celtics opened as a consensus 6.5-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has recently moved to 3.5 points for the road team. Here is a look at how both teams have performed against the spread this season.

• The Celtics are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games overall.
• Boston is 5-1 ATS in its last six road contests.
• The Celtics are 2-7 ATS in their last nine January games.
• Meanwhile, the Pacers are 6-1 in their last seven games overall.
• Indiana is 5-1 ATS in its last six matchups against Eastern Conference opponents.
• The Pacers are 4-2 ATS in their last six games they played on a Monday. 

In a scenario that is too close to predict from a trend standpoint, picking the Celtics to cover a small spread feels like a safe choice here.

Prediction: Boston Celtics (-3.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 248 points. At the time of this writing, the line has moved slightly to 244 points (via pre-game.com. ) Here is a look at why going with the “OVER” is the smart choice. 

• The total has gone OVER seven times in the Celtics’ last 10 games.

• The OVER total has prevailed 10 times in Boston’s last 15 matchups against Central Division opponents.

• The OVER total has cashed in 13 times in the Pacers’ last 17 home games.

• In Indiana’s last nine games against Atlantic Division teams, the OVER total won out seven times.

Prediction: OVER 244 points

Prop Bets

Given that Jayson Tatum’s status is questionable for tonight’s matchup against the Pacers, and there is no prop information available for any other Celtics players, we will bypass doing a player prop bet for the road team.  

The key player to watch for the home team is Tyrese Haliburton. He currently has -115 odds of scoring more than 23.5 points and -115 odds of scoring less than 23.5 points (via PointsBet). 

• On the season Haliburton is averaging 24.2 points per outing.
• In 19 home games, he is averaging 22.8 points per game.
• Haliburton has played against Eastern Conference teams 22 times this season.  In those contests, he is averaging 24.7 PPG.
• In seven Monday, night games this season, he is averaging 21.3 points per outing.
• In six matchups against Atlantic Division opponents, he is averaging 26 PPG.

Based on the trends, going with the “over” for Haliburton seems like a good choice.

Prediction: Tyrese Haliburton OVER 23.5 points

James’s Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers Picks

• The Spread: Celtics (-3.5)
  
• Over/Under: OVER 244 points
  
• Player Prop Bet: Tyrese Haliburton OVER 23.5 points