Simulation Picks
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Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
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Expert Picks
Darren Collison is going to play better in Game 2, and the Pacers as a team will shoot better than 57 percent from the foul line (12 of 21). Grab the points as Indiana bounces back to at least stay within the number.
I don't think the first game in this series was a fluke. Indiana was able to survive in the regular season without Victor Oladipo, but in the playoffs, when you're the only team your opponent has to gameplan for, it's much harder to find success without your superstars. The Celtics figured Indiana out in the second half of Game One, and I don't think the Pacers have a solution yet.
Teams that lose Game 1's have bounced back and played better in Game 2 so far, and I expect that as well with the Pacers. Indiana lost by 10 (and failed to cover) in Game 1 at Boston, but they couldn't fully recover from a horrid third quarter. Without a huge 12-minute letdown, Game 2 should be much closer. My simulations project a Pacers cover.
The loss of Marcus Smart (oblique) is significant, but the Celtics still showed their defensive chops by holding the Pacers to 74 points in Game 1. With Victor Oladipo (knee) out, the Pacers are likely going to find scoring difficult throughout this series. While the Celtics might not score a ton of points either, I think they hold the Pacers down enough Wednesday to cover.