NBA: Playoff preview? Celtics host the Pacers and Frank weighs in on the over/under

Pacers (+6.5) @ CELTICS (213.5)
Pick: Under 213.5

The Celtics need to find some more consistency with the NBA’s second season just a couple weeks out. Boston halted a four-game losing streak on Tuesday with a 116-106 win in Cleveland. Prior to that four-game skid, Boston had won five of its previous six. Put it all together, and the Celtics are 6-5 in their last 11 games and 4-6-1 ATS in that span. Is Tuesday’s win the start of a hot streak just in time for Boston? It could be, but in handicapping tonight’s game for the Celtics, it’s worth noting that it’s a likely playoff preview with the Pacers traveling to Beantown. Indiana holds a one-game lead on Boston in the Eastern Conference standings which means the Pacers would have home court advantage if the series started today. But both teams have seven games left so there’s still time for the Celtics. As we detailed, picking sides in Celtics games in March has been the equivalent of throwing darts blindfolded. That makes the total the more attractive play here and we’d expect both teams to treat tonight like a playoff game which means we should get good defensive intensity. It’s a low total for an NBA game, but one worth going under.