by
As has been expected for a while now, the Boston Celtics are looking like one of the best teams in the NBA. As of this writing, the Celtics hold the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and they’ve been making other teams look like JV squads when they’ve been in action. With that said, the Celtics should take care of business against the Pacers on Saturday when they face off in Indiana. Will an upset be on the way? We don’t think so.
Boston really has been impressive to watch and they’ve been getting the job done on both ends of the floor. Yes, they have some incredible shooters on the roster and they score a ton of points each night. However, we’ve been quite impressed with their play on defense too. Opposing squads are having a tough time, especially inside of the paint. As a whole, Boston should provide a lot of problems for the Pacers when they face off this weekend. Boston is hoping to bounce back after a loss to OKC too.
| Boston vs. Indiana odds |  |  |  |
| Celtics to win | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Pacers to win | +125 | +125 | +125 |
| Over 195 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 195 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
“Good ball pressure,” Coach Joe Mazzulla said on playing Payton Pritchard more in the second half of the loss. “Good physicality. Just brought a level of physicality to the game defensively and spacing on offense. I thought his presence helped us get back into the game. I thought it was two great teams,” Mazzulla said. “The game went about how I thought it would go as far as it coming down to the last couple of possessions. It was a great game for us.”
Now, Boston will look to make a statement against the Pacers. According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Celtics hold -110 NBA betting odds to take down Indiana, while the Pacers, the home team, have been set with +125 odds. It’s going to take a perfect performance for the Pacers to take down Boston. We don’t think that will happen – we’re going with the Celtics as our pick to post the victory.
cleared for takeoff ✈️ pic.twitter.com/45jhvmyIJF
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 3, 2024
Jayson Tatum is playing at an MVP level for the Celtics
Jayson Tatum last night:
☘️ 51 PTS created (30 scored, 21 assisted on)
☘️ 13 REB (5 OREB – most since rookie year)
☘️ held SGA to 25% shooting when guarding him pic.twitter.com/fC0YvImZnV— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) January 3, 2024
Per the oddsmakers, Tatum holds +3000 sports betting odds to win NBA MVP this year. If he continues his strong play, those odds are only going to keep growing. With Tatum playing so well too, Boston is going to see its NBA Finals betting odds keep on climbing too. The Celtics have what it takes to win the title this year and if they’re able to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy, there’s no question Tatum will play a massive role in things.
Boston holds the top NBA Finals betting odds
As we inch closer to All-Star Game weekend, Boston holds the top NBA Finals betting odds. This also isn’t much of a surprise, as the Celtics entered the new season with big expectations. The Nuggets are the reigning champions, but we’re seeing teams like the Bucks and Celtics surge, while Minnesota is actually in first place in the Western Conference standings. Who thought that’d be the case at this point in the year?
While there’s plenty of season left, Boston is looking better with each game. Not only is Tatum looking like a force, but Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holliday and others are impressing quite a bit too. This team is only going to get better with more experience heading out onto the hardwood with one another. As things stand, the Celtics hold +400 NBA Finals betting odds. Will another banner be lifted inside of the arena in Boston in the near future? This is something to keep an eye on.
