The NBA playoffs are always wild, wacky and filled with knife-thick drama. With players putting everything on the line in an attempt to bask in championship glory, naturally, the pressure-packed games are tremendously fun to wager on. As a result, the sportsbooks offer many creative ways to enhance the action. What is Brad’s SGP play in Celtics-Pacers Game 4? Check out his lean below.
The pick — Pacers OVER 107.5 team total points (-105, BetMGM)
- BetMGM offer: $1500 in Bonus Bets paid back
Without its star do-it-all guard Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana didn’t have much of a chance against Boston in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. Naturally, the Celtics defied common belief and willingly left the door wide open.
Behind Andrew Nembhard’s career-best nuclear detonation of 32 points, the Pacers pushed the pace, exploited open lanes and splashed the cylinder relentlessly. Over three quarters, they operated almost uninhibitedly on offense.
Then the sleepwalking C’s regained consciousness. In the fourth quarter, they outscored Indiana 33-21 en route to a tight 114-111 win.
Now with a 3-0 series lead, Jayson Tatum and friends are in supreme control. They’re a victory away from breaking out the brooms, and with Halliburton's availability still up in the air, the odds of Boston advancing to the NBA Finals are substantial. The Celtics are an 8.5-point road favorite in a potential closeout game, for crying out loud.
Despite their anticipated ousting, the Pacers won’t go down without a fight. They will do what they always do — emphasize a brisk pace and score frequently.
This postseason, Indiana ranks No. 1 in effective field-goal percentage offense (58.0) and adjusted offensive efficiency (1.207 points per possession). For the surface data-minded, the Pacers also have shot 51.0% from the floor, including 37.4% from three.
In every series game against Boston, Rick Carlisle’s club has scored at least 110 points. In the playoffs, they’ve topped the necessary threshold in 13 of 16 contests.
With the Celtics’ somewhat beatable defense (1.088 points/possession allowed in the playoffs) and Indiana’s desperation, the Pacers step on the accelerator.
NBA postseason record: 11-23, -10.28 units