INDIANA PACERS VS. BOSTON CELTICS ODDS AND PREDICTIONS FOR JANUARY 30, 2024

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from today’s slate features the Indiana Pacers (27-21 SU, 26-19-1 ATS) taking on the Boston Celtics (36-11 SU, 23-22-2 ATS).

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

Tipoff

• When: Tuesday, January 30, 2024
  
• Time: 7:30 PM ET
  
• Where: TD Garden
  
• Location: Boston Massachusetts
  
• TV: TNT and NBCS-BOS

Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics Odds (Via DraftKings)

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

Pacers Hoping To Have Tyrese Haliburton Back In The Lineup Against The Celtics

Indiana Pacers Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 124.8 PPG – 1ST       
• Offensive Efficiency: 121.6 points per 100 possessions – 1ST          
• Scoring Defense: 122.8 PPG – 28TH         
• Defensive Efficiency: 119.6 points per 100 possessions – 26TH    

Following a stretch in which they posted five losses in six games, the Indiana Pacers enter this matchup on a three-game winning streak. This includes a 116-110 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night. 

Bennedict Mathurin scored a team-high 24 points off the bench along with seven rebounds. 

“I thought Mathurin was tremendous,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said, CBS Sports. “In the first half when we couldn’t get anything going, he was making the right play every time. The right drive, the right pullup, the right read. He gave us a lot of life in the first and second quarters. Tremendous growth by him this year with those things.”

Pascal Siakam scored 19 points, grabbed six rebounds, and handed out six assists. Jalen Williams also scored 19 points along with 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. 

The Pacers were without their All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton. He has missed 10 of the team’s last 11 games with a hamstring injury. Indiana is hoping to have him back in the lineup for this contest as he practiced with the team on Monday. 

Celtics Will Need To Get Off To A Quick Start Against The League’s Top Scoring Team?

Boston Celtics Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 120.2 PPG – 5TH 
• Offensive Efficiency: 121.2 points per 100 possessions – 2ND          
• Scoring Defense: 110.7 PPG – 4TH     
• Defensive Efficiency: 111.6 points per 100 possessions – 3RD     

On the other side of this matchup, the Boston Celtics have the league’s best record and have won seven of their last 10 games. This includes a 118-112 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.

Jayson Tatum set the tone for the Celtics’ offense, scoring 28 points while totaling 10 rebounds, eight assists, and three steals.

Jrue Holiday added 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Derrick White contributed 17 points and four assists.

Boston trailed by 11 points in the fourth quarter before outscoring the Pelicans by a 37-20 margin over the game’s final 10 minutes. 

“We continued to defend regardless of how our offense was going,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I think that’s the key. I thought we stayed the course, especially in the second half.”

Narrowly avoiding a third loss at home, the Celtics will need to play with a greater sense of urgency against a Pacers team that leads the league in scoring. 

Now that we have set the table for this Eastern Conference showdown, let us look at the betting trends for both sides.

The Picks

The Spread

The Celtics opened as a 5.5-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has climbed to seven points for the home team (per pre-game.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season. 

• The Pacers are 6-3 ATS in their last nine games overall.
• Indiana is a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven Tuesday night games.
• The Celtics are 2-4 ATS in their last six games. 
• Boston is 2-5 ATS in their last six matchups against Central Division opponents.
• The last 11 times the Celtics have played on Tuesday, they are 8-3 against the spread.

Based on the above trends, going with the road team to cover is the best option.

Prediction: Indiana Pacers (+7)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 239.5 points. The line has recently moved to 242 points. Here is why going with the “UNDER” is the smart choice. 

• The total has gone UNDER eight times in the Pacers’ last 11 contests.
• The UNDER total has prevailed 10 times in Indiana’s last 11 road games.
• In the Celtics’ last eight games, the UNDER total prevailed seven times. 
• The total has gone UNDER four times in Boston’s last five January games.
• In Miami’s last seven games against Phoenix, the UNDER total cashed in five times.

Prediction: UNDER 242 points

Player Prop Bets

With Haliburton being listed as questionable for this contest, one of the players to watch for the road team is Pascal Siakam. He currently has -135 odds of scoring more than 18.5 points and +105 odds of finishing with less than 18.5 points. Here is a look at how his numbers compare with the projected points total. 

• In 24 career games against the Heat, Turner is averaging 17.3 PPG.
• On the season, Turner is averaging 22.1 points per outing. 
• In 22 road contests, he is averaging 21.7 PPG.
• Turner has played 28 times against Eastern Conference teams. In those contests, he is averaging 23.1 points per outing.
• Turner has played four times on a Tuesday this season. He is averaging 18.5 points per game. 
• During January, he is averaging 22.4 PPG, exceeding the points total for this matchup eight times during that stretch.

Based on his recent body of work, going with the “over” for Turner is the smart choice here.

Prediction: Pascal Siakam OVER 18.5 points

The key player to watch for the home team is Jayson Tatum. He currently has -125 odds of scoring more than 29.5 points and -105 odds of scoring less than 29.5 points. Let us see how his season splits stack up against the projected points total. 

• Jayson Tatum has played against the Pacers 23 times in his career. In those contests, he has averaged 24 points per game.
• On the season, the Tatum is averaging 26.9 points per outing. 
• In 22 home games, he is averaging 27 PPG.
• Tatum has played against Eastern Conference teams 28 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging just 26.8 points per outing.
• In nine matchups against Central Division opponents, in those games he is averaging 26 points per contest.
• Tatum has played in four Tuesday night games this season. In those games, he is averaging 22.8 points per contest.
• During the month of January – a sample size of 14 games — Tatum is averaging 26.7 PPG, exceeding the points total five times during that stretch.

Prediction: Jayson Tatum UNDER 29.5 points

James’s Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics Picks

• The Spread: Indiana Pacers (+7)
• Over/Under: UNDER 242 points
• Player Prop Bet #1: Pascal Siakam Over 18.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #2: Jayson Tatum Under 29.5 points