Celtics vs. Pacers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets - Friday, March 24, 2023

The Indiana Pacers (33-40) will need a big game out of top scorer Buddy Hield (17.1 ppg) if they want to hang with the favored Boston Celtics (50-23). Jayson Tatum and the Celtics are double-digit favorites (-11.5) against the Pacers on March 24, 2023.

Celtics vs. Pacers Odds

Celtics odds to win: -687
Pacers odds to win: +500
Spread: Celtics (-11.5)

Celtics vs. Pacers Promo Codes

Game Time and Information

When: Friday, March 24, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET
Where: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
TV: NBA TV, NBCS-BOS, and BSIN

Who Will Win Celtics vs. Pacers?

Celtics and Pacers Betting Trends, Records Against the Spread

In games this season they were favored by 11.5 points or more, the Celtics have a 3-4 record against the spread.

The Pacers have a 2-1 record against the spread when an underdog by 11.5 points or more this year.

Boston’s ATS record is 37-33-3 this season.

So far this season, the Pacers have put together a 39-33-1 record against the spread.

Celtics Stats & Insights

The Celtics average 117.8 points per game (third in the league) while allowing 112.2 per outing (sixth in the NBA). They have a +409 scoring differential overall and outscore opponents by 5.6 points per game.

The 45 rebounds per game the Celtics average rank seventh in the NBA. Their opponents grab 44.1 per contest.

Boston knocks down 15.9 three-pointers per game (second-most in the league) while shooting 37.7% from deep (fifth-best in the NBA). It is making four more threes per outing than its opponents, who drain 11.9 per game while shooting 35.3%.

The Celtics rank third in the NBA with 115.6 points scored per 100 possessions, and fifth in the league defensively with 109.6 points conceded per 100 possessions.

So far in the 2022-23 season, the Celtics are scoring 5.5 more points per home game on average than on the road (120.7 at home, 115.2 on the road), but are giving up 0.6 fewer points per home game compared to road games (111.9 at home, 112.5 on the road).

Pacers Stats & Insights

The Pacers have been outscored by 2.3 points per game (posting 115.9 points per game, 12th in league, while allowing 118.2 per outing, 26th in NBA) and have a -170 scoring differential.

Indiana is 23rd in the league at 41.6 rebounds per game. That’s 3.6 fewer than the 45.2 its opponents average.

The Pacers hit 1.5 more threes per contest than the opposition, 13.8 (fifth-most in the league) compared to their opponents’ 12.3.

The Pacers rank 24th in the league averaging 110.8 points per 100 possessions on offense, and defensively are 24th, allowing 114.5 points per 100 possessions.

At home Indiana is putting up 118.6 points per game, 5.4 more than it is averaging away (113.2).

Celtics Key Players to Watch

Tatum averages 30.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

Marcus Smart averages 11.4 points per game while adding 3.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists for the Celtics.

Tatum makes more threes per game than any other (active) member of the Celtics, knocking down shots from beyond the arc at a clip of 3.2 per contest.

Smart picks pockets to the tune of 1.5 takeaways per game, while Derrick White records 0.9 rejections per contest.

Pacers Key Players to Watch

Hield racks up 17.1 points per game. He also adds five rebounds per outing and 2.7 assists per contest.

Myles Turner has per-game averages of 17.9 points, 1.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds this season.

Hield averages 3.6 made threes per game.

The Pacers’ defensive effort gets a lift from Tyrese Haliburton (1.6 steals per game) and Turner (2.3 blocks per game).