Pacers vs. Celtics: Betting Picks and Prediction for Game 2

The Indiana Pacers look to even the series against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 tonight.

Indiana nearly pulled off the upset in Game 1, blowing a late lead and eventually losing in overtime 133-128.

With the win, the Celtics now have -1800 odds to win the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers are +980 underdogs.

Boston's odds to win the NBA Championship have shortened to -180. Indiana has +3700 odds to win the title.

Let's dive into the odds and break down the matchup for Pacers-Celtics Game 2.

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

NBA Playoffs Betting

Pacers-Celtics Game 2 Betting Odds

Date and Time: Thursday, May 23rd at 8:05 p.m. ET

Spread: Celtics -8.5 (-110)

Total: 225 (-110/-110)

Moneyline:

• Pacers: +300
• Celtics: -375

Pacers vs. Celtics Advanced Stats Breakdown

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

• Indiana 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
• Boston 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 vs. Celtics Best Bet

Over 225 (-110)

The over/under in Game 1 was 221.5. After a 262-point outburst, that total has moved to 225 for Game 2.

It's still not high enough.

Statistically, these are the two best offensive teams in the NBA. Boston and Indiana rank first and second in adjusted offensive efficiency, first and third in true shooting percentage, and third and first in assist to turnover ratio.

These guys can score.

And while Boston's second-ranked defense is likely keeping this total down, they haven't had much success slowing down Indiana. Including their five regular season meetings, the Pacers have averaged 118.7 points per game against the Celtics. In the two games they've played Boston since acquiring Pascal Siakam, Indiana scored 124 and 128 points.

It's hard to point to anything that says the Pacers' offense is unsustainable, either. They shot 53.5% overall and 37.1% from three in Game 1 -- strong marks, sure, but numbers right in line with their 50.9% field goal percentage and 38.0% three-point percentage for the postseason. Both lead all playoff teams.

Because of that, I'm certainly interested in the over for Indiana's 108.5 team total, currently set at -106 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

But Boston’s top-ranked offense has found plenty of success against Indiana’s 24th-ranked defense, so riding with the over for the game total of 225 is my preferred way to play this.

Dating back to the regular season, the Celtics have averaged a staggering 129.7 points per game against Indiana. That’s not entirely shocking given their top-ranked offense, and it makes even more sense when you consider how fast they’ve played against Indiana.

Boston averaged only 97.98 possessions per 48 minutes during the regular season (19th), and that’s down to 92.04 in the postseason (13th). But against Indiana -- the NBA's second-fastest team in pace -- Boston has cleared 100 possessions per 48 in five of six matchups, including Tuesday’s Game 1.

numberFire projects a 120.67 to 112.11 final score in favor of the Celtics tonight, resulting in a total north of 232 points. That’s well above the 225 total.

Between the model and head-to-head trends, I’ll jump on over 225 for tonight’s Game 2.

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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.