Pacers vs Celtics Odds, Lines & Predictions (March 24)

• Following a six-game road trip, the Celtics return home to host the Pacers on Friday, March 24th
• Tyrese Haliburton is questionable to return for this matchup as he nurses an ankle injury
• Below, find the Pacers vs Celtics odds as well as our best bet and prediction

Would the real Boston Celtics (50-23, 26-9 home) please stand up? Looking like world beaters for most of the season, the Celtics return home following a six game road trip where they went 4-2, but lost to Utah and Houston.

On Friday, March 24th, they’ll be hosting a desperate Indiana Pacers (33-40, 39-34 ATS) squad hoping to get their leading scorer, Tyrese Haliburton back in the lineup. He’s missed the last six games with an ankle injury, but was a game-time decision for Wednesday’s contest against the Raptors, and a return appears imminent.

Tipoff for this Eastern Conference clash is set for 7:00 pm ET from TD Garden in Beantown and can be seen on NBA TV.

Pacers vs Celtics Odds

It’s a big spread for this matchup with the Celtics laying 11.5 points as the home favorites. As -675 chalk on the moneyline, Boston has a whopping 87.1% implied win probability.

DRAFTKINGS
SPORTSBOOK

Bet $5 & Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly + a No Sweat NBA SGP Every Day!

LOCK IN PROMO

SIGNUP PROMO

BET $5
GET $200

+ A NO SWEAT NBA SGP

GET PROMO

Odds as of March 23rd at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Pacers in Dogfight for Play-In Spot

Despite missing their best player, the Pacers have managed to stay relevant in the NBA playoff odds, going 3-3 without Haliburton. In their last game in Toronto, head coach Rick Carlisle started a triumvirate of Canadians in their home country and came out with a 118-114 win.

One of those players, rookie Andrew Nembhard really stepped up to the occasion, leading the team with 25 points while dishing out 10 assists to finish with a double-double. Save for a dismal 2-point output against Charlotte, Nembhard has averaged 21 points per game with Haliburton out.

NBA INJURY ALERT: Pacers PG Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) is listed as questionable for Friday's game vs. the Celtics. pic.twitter.com/LAkIBE4t0t

— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) March 23, 2023

Although Boston has 17 more wins than Indiana this year, the Pacers have given them all they can handle this season. Indiana took their 1st matchup, 117-112 in Boston right before Christmas and forced overtime before falling 142-138 to the Celts last month.

Celtics Slipping Down the Stretch

Up until February, it looked like Boston would hold down the top spot in the NBA playoff bracket on the East side and host the fatigued bottom seed to come out of the play-in tournament. However, after a 36-15 start, Boston holds just a 14-8 mark in their last 22 games.

Over that same stretch since the start of February, the Bucks have posted an 18-3 record, even though they’ve been without Giannis Antetokounmpo for a good chunk of those games. At this point, the Bucks have finally overtaken the Boston as the favorites in the NBA championship odds.

Out of their remaining nine games, six are at home, and it would settle some nerves and panic of the home fans if they turned it on down the stretch. The loss to the Rockets was inexcusable as they’ve made a habit of playing down to their opponents. Starting with Indiana on Friday, they need to put a stop to that bad pattern.

This W was about getting back to who we are 💪🏽☘️ pic.twitter.com/wyRRgNYMKj

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 22, 2023

Pacers vs Celtics Prediction

The Celtics are one of only six teams in the Association who haven’t hit double-digit home losses this campaign, so we don’t see an upset here, especially since they’re well rested, having not played since Tuesday. However, with an 11.5-point spread in the NBA odds, we like the underdogs to cover.

This season, Boston is just 5-8 against the spread when they’ve been handicapped as double-digit favorites. Indiana has shown some mettle of late, going 4-0 ATS in their last four road games against teams with a winning home record.

On top of all that, they’ve kept things tight with the Celts in both head-to-head meetings this season and it appears more than likely they’ll get Haliburton back. A win might be a bit too far-fetched, but our prediction is that they keep it closer than the oddsmakers expect.

Pick: Indiana Pacers +11.5 (-110)