Celtics vs Pacers Prediction, Odds & Picks | NBA In-Season Tournament (Dec. 4): Quarterfinal Collision

The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament's quarterfinals begin on Monday, Dec. 4, featuring a clash between the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers on TNT at 7:30 p.m. ET.

🏆 SINGLE ELIMINATION
🏆 A TRIP TO VEGAS ON THE LINE

The NBA In-Season Tournament Knockout Rounds tip off with the Quarterfinals tonight on TNT!

7:30pm/et: CELTICS/PACERS
10:00pm/et: PELICANS/KINGS pic.twitter.com/KC90tyqQL6

— NBA (@NBA) December 4, 2023

The Celtics are the tournament's No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing the group stage with a solid 3-1 record. The Pacers, on the other hand, begin the quarterfinals at No. 2 following a flawless 4-0 run in the opening round.

Despite being the lower seed, the Celtics are still Bovada's favorite to win the NBA In-Season Tournament Cup at +300 odds. Meanwhile, the Pacers' +1400 odds to win the tournament are only better than the New York Knicks (+1600).

Without wasting any more time, let's dive into this quarterfinal matchup preview! Keep reading for my Celtics vs Pacers prediction and best bets, along with the latest game odds and trends.

Celtics vs Pacers NBA In-Season Tournament (Nov. 28)

Celtics vs Pacers Matchup Information

• Matchup: Boston Celtics (15-4, 6-4 Away) vs. Indiana Pacers (10-8, 6-5 Home)
• Venue & Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN)
• Date: Monday, Dec. 4, 2023
• Game Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• Celtics vs. Pacers TV Channel Info: TNT

Celtics vs Pacers Odds & Spread

NBA game odds courtesy of Bovada as of Monday, Dec. 4 at 10:49 p.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Celtics vs Pacers Spread

• Boston Celtics -5.5 (-110)
• Indiana Pacers +5.5 (-110)

Celtics vs Pacers Over/Under

• Over 242.5 Points (-115)
• Under 242.5 Points (-105)

Celtics vs Pacers Moneyline

• Boston Celtics (-220)
• Indiana Pacers (+180)

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Celtics vs Pacers Betting Trends

• Boston is 10-2 straight up in its last 12 games.
• Indiana is 1-8 straight up in its last nine games on a Monday.
• Boston is 2-4 ATS in its last six games vs. Indiana.
• Indiana is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games as the underdog.
• The total hit the Under in nine of Boston's last 13 games.
• The total has hit the Over in 10 of Indiana's last 14 games vs. Boston.

Celtics vs Pacers Prediction & Pick (Dec. 4)

While the Pacers are 4-0 in tournament play thus far, things haven't gone as smoothly as they did at the start of the season.

After playing to a 6-3 start to the 2023-24 NBA campaign, the Pacers are 4-5 SU (4-5 ATS) in their last nine games. And even though their most recent outing — a 144-129 win over the Miami Heat — is encouraging, it's worth noting that Indiana hasn't won back-to-back outings since Nov. 8/9.

It doesn't help that Gainbridge Fieldhouse hasn't given the Pacers much of a boost lately. They've dropped three of their last four games, giving up 121.8 PPG along the way. Even if you try to feel optimistic about their owning a win during that span, that lone victory came against the Detroit Pistons — the worst team in the entire NBA.

Meanwhile, the Celtics were victorious in four of their five previous outings and have won three straight games ahead of tonight's quarterfinal clash. Boston's three latest wins were convincing, for the most part, highlighted by an average win margin of 14.3 points.

Nevertheless, it's each of the Celtics' four losses this season came on the road. Boston hasn't won outside of TD Garden since Nov. 19, having lost back-to-back away games since then.

But even with the lack of road success, the C's can rest easy knowing that they already destroyed the Pacers earlier this season, picking up a 155-104 victory back on Nov. 1. Jayson Tatum was a man on a mission that night, pacing both sides in points (30) and rebounds (12).

Even if that win took place in Boston, it still helped the Celtics improve to 8-2 SU in their last 10 meetings with the Pacers.

Jayson Tatum against the Pacers last night:

✅ 30 PTS
✅ 9-15 FG
✅ 3-5 3PT
✅ 9-10 FT
✅ 12 REB
✅ 4 AST

All of that in just 27 minutes. He's READY 😤 pic.twitter.com/m4hhXhOYvx

— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) November 2, 2023

It's hard to doubt the Celtics this season as they've had no issue establishing themselves as one of the NBA's biggest threats, if not the best team in the Association. The Pacers are solid, but that 51-point loss to the C's earlier this season isn't doing them any favors, nor is their inability to win back-to-back outings.

Considering how Boston has beaten Indiana three straight times by an average of 26.7 points, I feel good about the visitor's odds of winning this one by at least two three-pointers.

Celtics vs Pacers Prediction: BOS wins

Celtics vs Pacers Best Bet: BOS -5.5 (-110 on Bovada)

Best Celtics vs Pacers Player Prop

After browsing through the Celtics vs. Pacers player props, I have no issue backing the Over on Jayson Tatum's 30.5-point total.

While he's only made good on this prop once in his last five games, a date with the Pacers is what Tatum needs to get back on track. After all, the 25-year-old is averaging 31.0 PPG in his last eight encounters with Indiana, finishing with no fewer than 30 points in each of the last five meetings.

Tatum only needed 27 minutes to drop 30 points on the Pacers earlier this season and now that something meaningful is on the line, I can only assume he'll give a strong effort. Look for No. 0 to lead the charge tonight.

Bet: Jayson Tatum o30.5 Total Points (-110 on Bovada)

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