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Eric Moody, ESPN
The Eastern Conference finals between the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers continues on Thursday night, and Game 1 was an exhilarating affair, with Indiana coming close to winning only to lose due to a number of mistakes in overtime.
It will be interesting to see how the Celtics perform in Game 2. Boston has won Game 1 in each of the past two playoff series this year, but was unable to win Game 2 at home.
Let's take a look at some of the best bets for Game 2 (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET).
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury statistics by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET.
Best bet: Boston Celtics over 116.5 points.
The Celtics have had no trouble scoring, leading the NBA in points per 100 possessions during the regular season and second in the playoffs. Boston has been over that line in 65% of its games this season, including five of the past six games against the Pacers. The Celtics scored 117 points in regulation on Tuesday, and there is room for improvement in Game 2 if Boston can develop better shot selection and handling the basketball.
Best bet: Jrue Holiday with 4.5 or more assists.
Holiday was truly phenomenal in Game 1, adding 28 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Holiday has played well against the Pacers all season, but seeing him shine as a facilitator in Game 2 makes this line seem too low to ignore. Although the Pacers improved their defense in the playoffs, they finished the regular season 24th in points allowed per 100 possessions. Despite its efforts, Indiana still allows a ton of points during the postseason. Meanwhile, Holiday has topped that line in six of his past 10 games, and I expect him to continue racking up assists that set up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Best bet: Myles Turner at least 16.5 points.
Turner took advantage of a favorable matchup in Game 1 against the Celtics, who were without Kristaps Porzingis. Boston made adjustments in the second half, but Al Horford is not a great defender at this stage of his career. The Celtics may take a committee approach to protecting Turner in Game 2, but he should still be successful. He has scored 16 points on 10 or more field goal attempts in each of his last four games.
Best bet: TJ McConnell over 9.5 points.
McConnell has been huge for the Pacers this postseason, topping the line in seven of their last 10 games. He was particularly effective in getting into the paint in the semifinals, averaging 9.0 points per game in the paint. He played 24 minutes as the Pacers' sixth man in Game 1 and should be in prime position to shine in Game 2.
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics
Eastern Division Finals – Game 2
8pm TD Garden, Boston
Recording (Prevention of Dissemination)
Pacers: 47-35 (44-36-2)
Celtics: 64-18 (43-35-4)
line: Celtics (-8.5) total: 224.5
Money line: Pacers (+300), Celtics (-400)
BPI Forecast: Celtics lead by 5.5, 68% straight, 230.6 total points.
Injury Report:
Pacers: Benedict Mathurin (out with shoulder injury)
Celtics: Xavier Tillman (GTD – Individual); Kristaps Porzingis (OUT – Calf)
