Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals is set to take place on Tuesday night as the Indiana Pacers will visit the Boston Celtics. This series is expected to be controlled by Boston, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be drama throughout this matchup.
Indiana is a surprising participant in the Eastern Conference Finals as they just pulled off a big upset in the Second Round. The Pacers got past the New York Knicks in a thrilling seven game series, and that win will give them some momentum.
Boston has gone 8-2 through the first 10 playoff games, and they have been the favorites to win the NBA Championship all season long. The Celtics are dealing with some adversity ahead of this game, but they are still the most talented team in the league.
Boston is coming into this game as a 9.5-point betting favorite, and the over/under line for this game is set at 221.5 total points.
Pacers Want to Play Fast
The Indiana Pacers were the highest-scoring team in the NBA during the regular season, and that trend has continued in the playoffs. Indiana just scored 130 points in their Game 7 win over the New York Knicks, and this team wants to play extremely fast.
Tyrese Haliburton is going to have to shoot the ball well in this game to pick up a win, but he has done a great job of setting the tone on offense. Indiana will take a ton of shots from deep, and they are tough to beat when they make shots.
The Pacers will need to be a better defensive team in order to win this game, but they have not proven that they can get stops.
Celtics Do Everything Well
The Boston Celtics are the number one seed throughout the NBA Playoffs for a reason, and this is a team that does nearly everything well. Boston has proven that they can score with any team in the league, but they are also dominant on the defensive end of the floor.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are both capable of scoring over 30 points per game, but they have been joined by Derrick White as an offensive weapon. Boston will be in attack mode in this game, and they are also capable of shooting well.
Look for the Celtics to try to set the tone in this matchup as they don’t want to give up home court advantage.
Boston Blows Out Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are coming into this series with a ton of momentum, but that momentum isn’t going to be enough to win this game. Indiana can score with any team in the league, but they won’t be able to get defensive stops in this matchup.
Boston has had some time to rest and prepare for this series, and they are also going to have a massive home crowd behind them. This Celtics team can put points on the board in a hurry, but they are also able to get defensive stops when needed.
Bet the Boston Celtics -9.5 as they are going to take complete control of the action in Game 1 as they pick up a huge win to begin the series.
