Concerning Trend Emerges for Celtics as Big Road Favorites in Game 4 vs. Pacers
By Reed Wallach
The Boston Celtics look to close out the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals in emphatic fashion, already up 3-0 on the Pacers.
Boston is a considerable road favorite following a furious rally to win Game 3 and move one game away from the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons. Historically, road favorites tend to perform quite well in the postseason, but not as the competition picks up with a poor record in the conference finals.
Since 2005, road favorites in the NBA Playoffs are 182-152-8 (55%) ATS per @Bet_Labs.
— John Ewing (@johnewing) May 25, 2024
But only 17-20-1 ATS in the Conference Finals.@celtics -7.5 at Pacers. pic.twitter.com/YStqg9ADNf
History Says Road Favorites Struggle in Conference Finals
As seen above, in the conference finals, the home underdog tends to be the more trustworthy side against the spread.
That was the case in Game 3 as the Pacers had little trouble covering the eight-point spread despite not having All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered a hamstring injury in Game 2. With Haliburton out, the Pacers leaned on the likes of Andrew Nembhard to build a lead as big as 18 points before the team lost outright but covered the closing spread with ease.
Can something similar play out in this game with a similar point spread and Haliburton listed as doubtful for Game 4 with his ailing hamstring?
Here are the odds for Monday’s potential close out game from Indiana.
Celtics vs. Pacers Odds, Spread and Total
Spread:
- Celtics: -7.5 (-105)
- Pacers: +7.5 (-115)
Moneyline:
- Celtics: -275
- Pacers: +225
Total: 222.5 (Over -112/Under -108)
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.