The Indiana Pacers (20-14) will try to extend their six-game winning streak when they face the Boston Celtics (27-7) on Saturday night. Indiana extended its hot streak with a 150-116 win over Atlanta on Friday, setting a team record with 50 assists. Boston had its six-game winning streak snapped in a loss at Oklahoma City on Tuesday, but it bounced back with a 126-97 win over Utah on Friday. The Celtics are in first place in the Eastern Conference, while Indiana is in fourth place.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Celtics are favored by 6 points in the latest Pacers vs. Celtics odds, while the over/under is set at 247.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Celtics vs. Pacers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model entered Week 11 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 106-59 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Boston-Indiana. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
Celtics vs. Pacers spread: Celtics -6
Celtics vs. Pacers over/under: 247.5 points
Celtics vs. Pacers money line: Celtics -226, Pacers +184
Celtics vs. Pacers picks: See picks here
Why the Pacers can cover
Indiana is one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, having won six consecutive games to move into fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Pacers set a franchise record with 50 assists in a 150-116 win over Atlanta on Friday, as Tyrese Haliburton accounted for 18 of those dimes. Center Myles Turner led the team with 27 points, while Bennedict Mathurin added 18 points.
Bruce Brown missed five games due to a bone bruise in his right knee, but he scored 17 points against Atlanta in just his second game back on the court. Indiana beat Boston by 10 points in the most recent meeting between these teams, knocking down 19 of 40 attempts from 3-point range. Haliburton scored a team-high 26 pints in that Dec. 4 matchup, which was part of the NBA’s in-season tournament.
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston is coming off an impressive showing of its own, cruising to a 126-97 win over Utah on Friday. The Celtics held a 36-point lead in the second quarter, allowing them to rest their starters for most of the second half. They tied a franchise record by scoring at least 120 points for the ninth consecutive game, matching the 1959-60 Celtics team.
The Celtics have won 12 of their last 14 games and will be motivated to maintain their lead atop the Eastern Conference standings. Jayson Tatum poured in 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 155-104 win over Indiana on Nov. 1, as the Celtics knocked down 20 of 35 3-point attempts. Boston has covered the spread in eight of its last 12 games, and it has won 15 of the last 20 meetings between these teams. See which team to pick here.
How to make Pacers vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Pacers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.