The Indiana Pacers (6-22) and Boston Celtics (17-11) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EST from TD Garden in Boston, Mass. The game will be broadcast live on FDSIN.
The Celtics are 10.5-point favorites over the Pacers on the spread (Celtics -10.5), with the over/under set at 225.5 total points. Boston is an 81-cent favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Indiana is priced at 21 cents to pull off the upset on Fanatics Markets.
Let's get into my Pacers vs. Celtics predictions and NBA picks for Monday, December 22.
My Pacers vs Celtics Prediction
- Pacers vs Celtics Pick: Pacers +10.5
My Celtics vs Pacers pick is for Indiana to cover the spread, with the best price currently available at Fanatics. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Pacers vs Celtics Odds
Pacers vs Celtics NBA Preview
Indiana has dropped four straight games, most recently a 128-109 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, a result that stood out for all the wrong reasons given New Orleans' 7-22 record.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 22 points, while Johnny Furphy added 18. T.J. McConnell chipped in 16, but Indiana was never able to recover after a disastrous opening quarter.
Defense has been the core issue during this losing streak, and it showed immediately against New Orleans. The Pacers allowed 44 first-quarter points, the Pelicans’ best opening period of the season, and spent the rest of the game playing from behind.
The loss also delayed Rick Carlisle’s pursuit of his 1,000th career NBA head coaching victory, leaving him stuck at 999 wins after Indiana’s fourth straight defeat since beating Sacramento on Dec. 8.
Offensively, the Pacers continue to struggle with efficiency, ranking last in the NBA in field-goal percentage at 43.1% and 3-point shooting at 32.3%, while averaging just 110.2 points per game, better than only Brooklyn.
Boston, meanwhile, enters off back-to-back wins and sits third in the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics beat the Miami Heat 129-116 before following that up with a 112-96 victory over the Toronto Raptors. In the win over Toronto, Payton Pritchard delivered a breakout performance, scoring 33 points with 19 coming in the third quarter.
Derrick White and Anfernee Simons each added 15, while Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, and rookie Hugo Gonzalez provided valuable contributions off the bench.
However, Jaylen Brown, Boston’s leading scorer at 29.3 points per game, sat out that game due to illness. Brown and Jordan Walsh are questionable for tonight.
Boston’s defensive profile remains one of the strongest in the league. The Celtics are holding opponents to 110.5 points per game, the second-best mark in the NBA, and limiting teams to 44.7% shooting from the field.
Pacers vs Celtics Prediction, Betting Analysis
This spot sets up well through the lens of Evan Abrams’ “Road Dogs Off ATS Loss” system, which highlights value on teams looking to bounce back after a poor performance against the spread.
Indiana fits that profile after another non-competitive loss, and the Pacers should bring an added urgency following four straight defeats and continued scrutiny over their defensive effort.
The market perception heavily favors Boston due to recent wins and season-long defensive metrics, but those can inflate expectations and open the door for a focused response from the opponent.
Indiana’s need to reestablish defensive discipline and play with pace from the opening tip should translate into a stronger overall effort, especially with Carlisle closing in on a historic milestone.
In a rebound spot where motivation and urgency favor the Pacers, backing Indiana to respond convincingly makes sense.
The pick is Pacers +10.5 as I trust the bounce-back angle to outweigh Boston’s recent form.
Pick: Pacers +10.5
Celtics vs Pacers Betting Trends
