Our NBA experts Christopher Walder, Nick Holz, and David Caraviello are here throughout the playoffs offering up their spread, moneyline, OVER/UNDER, and player prop picks for all of the action.
After a disjointed mess to conclude a Game 1 which went to overtime, the Indiana Pacers will look to redeem their late performance and steal Game 2 at TD Garden on Thursday night against the Boston Celtics.
Let's take a closer look at all of our expert picks for this matchup.
(Related Link) 2024 NBA Playoff Series Prices
NBA Expert Picks Results: Conference Finals
| Expert | Record | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Holz | 4-0 | 3.56 |
| Christopher Walder | 2-2 | 0.36 |
| David Caraviello | 1-1 | -0.05 |
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Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics Game 2 Preview & Picks
Matchup Page: Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics, 8 p.m. ET
Same-Game Parlay: Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics Game 2
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Pacers | +8.5 (-105) | +310 | O 224.5 (-110) |
| Boston Celtics | -8.5 (-115) | -400 | U 224.5 (-110) |
Christopher Walder's Pick: UNDER 224.5 Total Points (-110)
These 48-hour turnarounds won't do either team any favors for the remainder of the series, especially Indiana after doing so initially coming off a Game 7 victory against the New York Knicks on Sunday only to kick off the Eastern Conference finals in Beantown two days later.
It doesn't help matters that Game 1 required an extra five minutes of action to determine a victor, on top of the emotional highs and lows of the closing moments, with those lows exacerbated by awful decision-making and careless turnovers. As fast-paced and efficient as both offenses were, even at the end of regulation, the combined total was at 234 points with a lot of things going right. It could definitely carry over to Thursday, but it's more than likely not going to.
In six instances in which the Celtics have gone to overtime in 2023-24, they've only hit the OVER the following game on two occasions. The Pacers' window is much more limited as they had previously only played overtime twice, splitting the total prop the next game at 1-1. This is also the second-highest total number of the postseason for Indiana, failing to reach the OVER in the opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 21 at 230 points.
Also, after attempting just 10 free throws in Game 1, Indiana is 7-0 to the UNDER the following game after shooting no more than 10 at the charity stripe. Take that for what it's worth.
David Caraviello's Pick: Indiana Pacers ATS +8.5 (-105)
Boston failed to cover in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final as a 10-point home favorite, barely surviving the Pacers in overtime. Indiana looked deeper and better from the perimeter in the opener, until Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown took over late in regulation and in the extra period.
Those heroics aside, Boston has been a mixed bag at best at home throughout the playoffs, and Indiana’s superior bench play gives the Pacers a chance to keep it close again Thursday in Game 2.
Christopher Walder's Pick: Andrew Nembhard OVER 10.5 Points (-102)
While Andrew Nembhard's Game 1 will likely be remembered for his errant inbound pass to teammate Pascal Siakam which went off his fingertips and out of bounds, the Canadian guard's other contributions shouldn't be ignored as a result.
Nembhard converted a 19-foot step back jumper nearly 40 seconds earlier to put the Pacers up by three in the first place, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting with a pair of triples as well. It's the third game in a row that he's dropped 11 or more points and the fourth in fifth tries that he's connected on at least 50 percent from the field.
Nick Holz's Pick: Payton Pritchard 2+ Made three-Pointers (-110)
Why are we getting such a decent price on Pritchard to knock down a couple three-pointers? Who knows, but we're smacking this line for two units on Thursday night.
Pritchard has knocked down nearly 45% of triples during the postseason, and has nailed at least two from deep in each of his past three games. He's also hit this line in four of his last six. The Oregon product made 50% of threes in the Cavaliers' series, and went 2-of-3 on Tuesday night. There's no reason to believe that changes in Game 2. Bet on Pritchard to hit two threes as my favorite NBA expert pick of the evening.
If you're feeling frisky, you can find Pritchard to make 3+ three-pointers at +320 odds.
