NBA Odds: Celtics Continue Tough Stretch As Road Favorites Vs. Pacers
The Boston Celtics will look to close their current three-game road trip with a fourth straight victory Thursday when they visit the Indiana Pacers as slim one-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston trailed the Memphis Grizzlies by as many as 17 points after halftime Tuesday before storming back to claim a 112-109 overtime win as 2 1/2-point road chalk to maintain sole possession of third place in the Eastern Conference ahead of Thursday night’s Celtics vs. Pacers betting matchup at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The team’s current surge matches its longest win streak of the season and comes on the heels of a sluggish 4-6 straight-up run in which it tallied consecutive wins just once.
Tuesday’s win improved the Celtics’ conference-leading SU road record to 10-7. Boston also is the best road bet in the NBA right now, going 5-1 against the spread in its past six games away from TD Garden, and 12-5 ATS on the year.
The 15-15 Pacers return home after dropping a 118-111 decision to the New York Knicks as 4 1/2-point road underdogs Tuesday, ending a brief two-game SU win streak. Indiana has struggled with consistency throughout the early going of the campaign, failing to string together more than two SU wins, and has been a betting disappointment with a 12-18 ATS record.
The Pacers have been red-hot in recent home contests, winning five straight, including a trio of outright victories as home underdogs over the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers.
However, Indiana failed to cover in its most recent date on home hardwood, Monday night’s 107-105 win over the Washington Wizards as five-point betting favorites.
The Celtics picked up a 105-99 win as two-point chalk during a visit to Indiana last month but have produced mixed results against the Pacers in recent years. Boston has taken home the SU win in five of its last nine meetings with the Pacers, according to the OddsShark NBA Database, but is just 2-5 SU over its past seven visits, covering just once in the past three.
Boston returns home immediately following Thursday night’s game to prepare for a Friday night date with the Oklahoma City Thunder before traveling to Madison Square Garden for a Christmas Day clash with the Knicks.
The Celtics fell 99-96 in Oklahoma City as 3 1/2-point underdogs just 10 days ago, and are just 1-8 SU in their past nine dates with the Thunder, including three home losses. Boston has enjoyed more success against the Knicks, winning seven of its last eight SU, going 5-3 ATS, and is 3-1 SU in its past four visits to New York, going 2-2 ATS.
Thumbnail photo via Nelson Chenault/USA TODAY Sports Images
