NBA Eastern Conference Finals Preview: Celtics-Pacers Preview

Conference Rivals Clash with NBA Finals Berth at Stake

Pacers' Struggles Against Celtics a Major Concern

The Indiana Pacers will host the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, with a berth in the 2024 NBA Finals at stake. The Celtics are -1250 to win the series in NBA Playoffs odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Pacers have a significant challenge ahead of them, as they have struggled against the Celtics this season. In the five meetings between the two teams, the Pacers have shot just 46.8% overall and 31.8% from deep. These numbers are significantly lower than their 82-game averages of 49.5% and 37.0%, respectively.

The Celtics, on the other hand, have been dominant against the Pacers this season. In their first meeting, the Celtics hung 155 points on the Pacers. In the second meeting, the Celtics won by 22 points. And in the third meeting, the Celtics won by 15 points.

The Pacers will need to find a way to improve their shooting if they want to have a chance of beating the Celtics. They will also need to find a way to slow down Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who is averaging 32.0 points per game in the playoffs.

The Celtics are the clear favorites to win the series, but the Pacers have shown that they can compete with them. If the Pacers can shoot the ball well and slow down Tatum, they could pull off an upset.