Celtics vs. Pacers: Betting Picks and Prediction for Game 3

Following Thursday's 126-110 win, the Boston Celtics are hitting the road for Game 3 with a 2-0 lead over the Indiana Pacers.

The Celtics have only become an even larger favorite to win this series, carrying -10000 odds to win the Eastern Conference Finals when looking at FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds. Boston has also seen their odds to win the NBA Finals rise to -210.

Let's break down the latest odds for Game 3. What could be the best lines for Saturday's game?

All NBA odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NBA Playoffs Betting

Celtics-Pacers Betting Odds

Date and Time: Saturday, May 25th at 8:30 p.m. ET

Spread: Celtics -7 (-110)

Total: 222.5

Moneyline:

• Celtics: -270
• Pacers: +220

Celtics vs. Pacers Advanced Stats Breakdown

nERD via numberFire. Adjusted offensive/defensive ratings and pace via DunksAndThrees.

• Celtics:
  • nERD: 80.8 (1st)
  • Adjusted Offensive Rating: 122.0 (1st)
  • Adjusted Defensive Rating: 111.2 (2nd)
  • Pace: 97.7 (19th)
  • Against-the-Spread Record: 41-36-5
• Pacers:
  • nERD: 56.3 (14th)
  • Adjusted Offensive Rating: 120.1 (2nd)
  • Adjusted Defensive Rating: 117.9 (24th)
  • Pace: 102.1 (2nd)
  • Against-the-Spread Record: 44-35-3

Celtics vs. Pacers Best Bet

Celtics Team Total Over 114.5 (-115)

One of the big factors for Game 3 will be the status of Tyrese Haliburton. The All-Star guard sustained a hamstring injury during Game 2 and was ruled out after he attempted to return to the game. As of now, his status is up in the air with Shams Charania reporting it's the same hamstring injury from January and tests will be run on Friday.

Keep a close eye on the injury report as the point spread will likely swing in Boston's favor if Haliburton is ruled out.

The over is 2-0 through two contests in this series. However, we should expect Indiana's scoring production to fall if Hali cannot go. The star guard is second on the team in scoring with 18.7 points per game (PPG) while leading with 8.2 assists per game (APG) during the playoffs. He is the orchestrator of the postseason's highest-rated offensive. Without their floor general, the offense will probably not operate at the same level.

Uncertainty is surrounding the Pacers right now, so I'm avoiding the overall total. Instead, I'm looking at the Celtics' team total of 114.5. Boston is logging 129.5 PPG during the series while carrying a 50.3% field goal percentage (FG%).

Including five regular-season meetings, the Celtics are posting 129.1 PPG against Indiana's underwhelming defense. During the meetings, Boston has consistently let it fly from three-point land, logging 16.0 made threes and 38.6 attempts per game. The efficiency has been blistering at 41.5%.

Shooting the three has been the Celtics' bread and butter all season as they led the Association with the most made and shot threes per game during the regular season. Not much has changed in the playoffs, for Boston is leading with 14.6 made threes and 38.9 attempted treys per game.

Meanwhile, the Pacers' defensive rating keeps rising in the postseason; it is now up to 119.1 compared to their regular-season mark of 117.9 (seventh-highest). If Indiana is incapable of slowing the Celtics' greatest strength -- the three-ball -- they will likely keep getting torched.

Boston has even won the paint battle in the first two games while totaling 56.0 points in the paint per game. This is well above the Pacers' playoff average of 47.5 points in the paint allowed per game.

This series is brewing to be a disaster for Indiana. The Celtics sweeping is looking better than ever (-140). At the very least, we should expect another solid scoring total from Boston in Game 3, eclipsing 114.5 points.

Celtics vs. Pacers Prop Bet

Jayson Tatum Under 2.5 Made Threes (-104)

Jayson Tatum's three-point prop is set at over/under 2.5 made shots. Which side looks like the best bet?

Despite shooting 37.6% from deep while averaging 3.1 made threes during the regular season, Tatum has seen his three-point percentage drop to a measly 26.6% in the playoffs. He's still getting the shot volume with 6.6 three-point attempts and 7.5 shots each game during this series. The efficiency has simply not been there. Can he finally snap his cold streak from deep?

Considering the enticing -104 odds, I'm liking the under. Tatum is certainly a more capable shooter than he's shown in the playoffs, but I can't go for the over until he finally finds his groove.

Over 12 playoff games, Tatum has made more than two threes only once. It's hard to go against these kind of odds (over two threes in only 8.3% of postseason contests). Indiana has the ideal length to guard Tatum with Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin, which could be part of the reason for the star forward's deflating three-point efficiency.

Tatum going under three made three-pointers has been like clockwork in the postseason. I'm not coming off this trend now; give me under 2.5 made treys.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.