Pacers vs Celtics

Boston’s 26-16 Celtics enter on only a one-game losing streak while the 10-34 Pacers have dropped two straight and sit near the bottom of the East, which already leans this matchup heavily toward the home side at -550.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/standings)) Indiana is missing three primary creators and scorers in Tyrese Haliburton (out for the season), Bennedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin, whereas Boston is still without Jayson Tatum and lists Jaylen Brown as probable, leaving Brown, Anfernee Simons and Derrick White to carry a still-formidable offensive load.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/injuries/_/name/ind/indiana-pacers)) Recent head-to-heads have underscored the gap: Brown has hung 30 and 31 in two Boston wins over Indiana this season, including a 140-122 road blowout where the Celtics buried 20 threes, and the Pacers’ thin backcourt depth is now even more exposed.([cbssports.com](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/jaylen-brown-scores-30-points-and-the-celtics-make-20-3-pointers-to-beat-the-pacers-140-122/?utm_source=openai)) With Boston jockeying for a top-two seed while Indiana is effectively playing out the string, I’m backing the Celtics moneyline despite the steep price, grading it a B for high win probability but only modest value at this number. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 21/01/2026 09:40

Indiana’s 10-34 Pacers have lost two straight and now bring one of the league’s worst point differentials into Boston against a Celtics team on a brief one-game skid but with a top-tier defense, a context that makes the 227.5 total look a bit inflated.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/standings)) With Haliburton out for the season and both Mathurin and Toppin sidelined, Indiana is down three of its best shot-creators, while Boston is still missing Tatum and managing Brown through hamstring tightness, limiting elite on-ball scoring on both sides and forcing more usage onto secondary options like Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Simons and White.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/injuries/_/name/ind/indiana-pacers)) The earlier 140-122 shootout in Indianapolis will stick in bettors’ minds, but the Boston meeting landed at just 103-95, and with the Pacers already one of the weakest shooting teams and even more short-handed now, it’s harder to see them sustaining pace and efficiency in a playoff-style environment where the Celtics are focused on seeding.([foxsports.com](https://www.foxsports.com/articles/nba/jaylen-brown-scores-31-points-as-celtics-rally-past-pacers-10395?utm_source=openai)) I’m taking Under 227.5 at -118 and grading it a B, trusting the injury-driven offensive downgrades and Boston’s defense slightly more than the risk of late garbage-time points. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 21/01/2026 09:40

Jaylen Brown’s recent 30- and 31-point explosions against Indiana highlight how badly the Pacers have matched up with Boston’s physical wings and perimeter shooting, even as the Celtics themselves come in on a one-game skid and Indiana on a two-game slide.([cbssports.com](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/jaylen-brown-scores-30-points-and-the-celtics-make-20-3-pointers-to-beat-the-pacers-140-122/?utm_source=openai)) The Pacers are down Haliburton, Mathurin and Toppin again, leaving Siakam and Nembhard to shoulder heavy creation duties for a roster that already sits near the bottom of the conference, while Boston’s depth around Brown — Simons, White, Payton Pritchard and a deep bench — has proven capable of generating sustained runs without Tatum.([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/injuries/_/name/ind/indiana-pacers)) In their two recent meetings, the Celtics won by 8 and 18, comfortably covering this -10.5 number once and narrowly missing the other, and with Boston chasing top playoff positioning while Indiana drifts further from the play-in picture, the situational and talent edges both favor another double-digit result at TD Garden.([foxsports.com](https://www.foxsports.com/articles/nba/jaylen-brown-scores-31-points-as-celtics-rally-past-pacers-10395?utm_source=openai)) I’ll lay the -10.5 with Boston at -118 and grade it a B-, acknowledging real blowout potential but also some backdoor-cover risk if the Celtics ease off late. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 21/01/2026 09:40